HAROLD    L.    LEUPP 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

DAVIS 


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REMINISCENCES 


OF 


FORTS  SUITER  AND  MOULTRIE 


1860-'61 


BY  ABNER  DOUBLEDAY 

BREVET   MAJOR-GENERAL   U.  S.  A. 


NEW    YORK 

HARPER  &  BROTHERS,  PUBLISHERS 

FRANKLIN     SQUARE 

1876 
LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1875,  by 

HARPER    &    BROTHERS, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


INTRODUCTION. 


Now  that  the  prejudices  and  bitter  partisan  feel 
ing  of  the  past  are  subsiding,  it  seems  a  fitting  time 
to  record  the  facts  and  incidents  connected  with  the 
first  conflict  of  the  Eebellion.  Of  the  eleven  officers 
who  took  part  in  the  events  herein  narrated,  but  four 
now  survive.  Before  the  hastening  years  shall  have 
partially  obliterated  many  circumstances  from  my 
memory,  and  while  there  is  still  an  opportunity  for 
conference  and  friendly  criticism,  I  desire  to  make, 
from  letters,  memoranda,  and  documents  in  my  pos 
session,  a  statement  which  will  embody  my  own  rec 
ollections  of  the  turbulent  days  of  1860  and  1861. 

I  am  aware  that  later  and  more  absorbing  events 
have  caused  the  earlier  struggles  of  the  war  to  re 
cede  in  the  distance ;  but  those  who  were  in  active 
life  at  that  time  will  not  soon  forget  the  thrill  of 
emotion  and  sympathy  which  followed  the  move 
ments  of  Anderson's  little  band,  when  it  became  its 


INTROD  UCTION. 


duty  to  unfold  the  flag  of  the  Union  against  a  united 
South  in  arms. 

I  know  how  difficult  it  is  to  write  contemporane 
ous  history,  or  even  to  give  a  bare  detail  of  facts, 
without  wounding  the  susceptibilities  of  others ;  but 
whenever  I  have  felt  called  upon  to  give  my  own 
opinion,  I  have  endeavored  to  do  so  in  the  spirit  of 
Lincoln's  immortal  sentiment  —  "With  malice  to 
ward  none ;  with  charity  for  all." 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

FORT   MOULTRIB   IN    1860. 

The  Garrison  of  Fort  Moultrie. — Early  Indications  of  Secession. — 
Situation  of  the  Fort. — Edmund  Euffin  and  Robert  Barnwell  Rhett. 
— The  Secretary  of  "War. — Arms  sent  to  the  South. — Colonel  Gard 
ner. — Captain  Foster  ordered  to  Charleston  Harbor. — The  Officers 
at  Fort  Moultrie.  — Communications  with  Northern  Men  by  Ci 
pher. — Proscription  of  Antislavery  Men  in  Charleston. — Position  of 
Charleston  Merchants. — The  Secession  Leaders  only  prepared  to 
resist  Coercion. — The  Mob  proves  Unmanageable. — General  Scott's 
Letter  to  the  President,  October  29th. — The  Situation  in  Novem 
ber. — No  Instructions  from  Washington. — Colonel  Gardner's  Re 
port  to  General  Wool Page  13 

CHAPTER  II. 

PREPARATIONS   FOR   DEFENSE. 

Defeat  of  Captain  Seymour's  Expedition  on  the  Ashley. — Mayor 
Macbeth 's  Explanation. — Captain  Foster's  Work  on  Fort  Moultrie. 
— Governor  Gist  convenes  the  South  Carolina  Legislature. — Crea 
tion  of  a  Standing  Army. — Arrival  of  Masons  from  Baltimore. 
— Situation  of  Fort  Sumter. — A  Dramatic  Incident. — Secretary 
Floyd's  Action. — Horace  Greeley's  Advocacy  of  the  Right  of  Se 
cession.— The  Situation  November  18th ....  ..  30 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  III. 

PRELIMINARY   MOVEMENTS    OF   THE    SECESSIONISTS. 

Arrival  of  Major  Anderson. — Huger's  Opposition  to  a  Premature  As 
sault  on  Fort  Moultrie. — Anderson's  Report  to  the  Secretary  of 
War. — Active  Preparations  by  the  South  Carolinians. — Meeting 
of  Congress. — Attempts  at  Compromise. — Secession  Batteries  at 
Mount  Pleasant. — Arrival  of  Major  Buell  with  Written  Orders. — 
Vain  Efforts  to  Strengthen  Castle  Pinckney. — Northern  Opinion. 
— Public  Meeting  in  Philadelphia Page,  41 

CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  REMOVAL  TO  FORT  SUMTER. 

Passage  of  the  Secession  Ordinance. — Governor  Pickens's  Procla 
mation. — Judge  Petigru's  Visit  to  Eort  Moultrie. — Floyd's  Treach 
ery. — Yancey's  Lectures  in  the  North. — The  Removal  to  Sumter.  55 

CHAPTER  V. 

THE   FIRST   OVERT  ACT. 

The  New  Quarters.  —  Seizure  of  Castle  Pinckney  by  Charleston 
Troops. — Raising  the  Flag  at  Fort  Sumter. — The  Sergeant's 
Daughter. — Major  Anderson's  Position. — The  Charleston  Troops 
take  Fort  Moultrie. — A  Military  Problem. — Condition  of  Fort 
Sumter.— Governor  Pickens's  Commission. — A  New  Outrage...  68 

CHAPTER  VI. 

EFFECT   OF   ANDERSON'S   MOVEMENT. 

President  Buchanan  Aroused. — Excitement  in  Charleston. — The  Sit 
uation  at  the  Beginning  of  1861. — Governor  Pickens's  War  Meas 
ures. — "My  heart  was  never  in  this  War" 82 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
THE  "STAR  OF  THE  WEST." 

Promise  of  Succor. — Fatal  Delay. — A  Contumacious  Chaplain. — 
Visit  from  our  Ladies. — Governor  Pickens's  Cabinet. — Appearance 
of  the  Star  of  the  West.  — The  Vessel  fired  upon  from  Morris 
Island  and  Fort  Moultrie. — Major  Anderson's  Protest. — Governor 
Pickens's  Reply Page  92 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

A   RESORT   TO   DIPLOMACY. 

Major  Anderson's  Proposed  Diplomatic  Negotiations. — Defensive 
Preparations.— Changes  in  the  Cabinet. — Meade's  Defection. — 
Anecdote  of  Governor  Pickens. — Battery  at  Cummings  Point. — 
Soldiers' Families  Removed.— A  Threatening  Letter. — Confederate 
Visitors  to  the  Fort.  —  Organization  of  the  Confederate  Govern 
ment „.,,..  107 

CHAPTER  IX. 

THE   CRISIS   AT   HAND. 

South  Carolina's  Grievances. — Inauguration  of  President  Lincoln.— 
Determination  to  Re-enforce  Sumter. — An  Audacious  Proposal. — 
The  Shannon. — New  Rebel  Batteries  Unmasked. — Formal  Notice 
of  Bombardment 123 

CHAPTER  X. 

THE   BOMBARDMENT. 

The  First  Shot.' — Defective  Guns. — John  Carmody's  Exploit. — De 
structive  Effects  of  the  Bombardment. — Burning  of  the  Officers' 
Quarters. — Terrific  Conflagration 143 


10  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE     EVACUATION. 

Senator  Wigfall's  Volunteer  Mission. — Terms  of  Evacuation  Settled. 
— The  Question  of  Casualties  on  the  Other  Side. — Salute  to  the 
Flag. — Occupation  of  the  Fort  by  Southern  Troops. — Embarka 
tion. — Welcome  in  New  York. — Conclusion Page  161 

APPENDIX ..  179 


EEMINISCENCES  OF 

FORTS  SUITER  AND  MOULTRIE 

IN   186O-'61. 


CHAPTER  I. 

FOST   MOULTEIE   IN    1860. 

The  Garrison  of  Fort  Moultrie. — Early  Indications  of  Secession. — 
Situation  of  the  Fort. — Edmund  Kuffin  and  Kobert  Barnwell  Khett. 
— The  Secretary  of  War. — Arms  sent  to  the  South. — Colonel  Gard 
ner. — Captain  Foster  ordered  to  Charleston  Harbor. — The  Officers 
at  Fort  Moultrie. —  Communications  with  Northern  Men  by  Ci 
pher. — Proscription  of  Antislavery  Men  in  Charleston. — Position  of 
Charleston  Merchants. — The  Secession  Leaders  only  prepared  to 
resist  Coercion. — The  Mob  proves  unmanageable. — General  Scott's 
Letter  to  the  President,  October  29. — The  Situation  in  November. 
— No  Instructions  from  Washington. — Colonel  Gardner's  Report  to 
General  Wool. 

THE  summer  of  1860  found  me  stationed  at  the 
head-quarters  of  the  First  United  States  Artillery  at 
Fort  Moultrie,  South  Carolina.  I  was  captain  of  Com 
pany  E,  and  second  in  command  to  Brevet  Colonel 


14  REMINISCENCES  OF 

John  L.  Gardner,  who  was  lieutenant-colonel  of  the 
regiment.  The  regimental  band  and  Captain  Tru 
man  Seymour's  company  (H)  also  formed  part  of  the 
garrison.  The  other  forts  were  unoccupied,  except 
by  the  ordnance-sergeants  in  charge. 

Charleston,  at  this  period,  was  far  from  being  a 
pleasant  place  for  a  loyal  man.  Almost  every  public 
assemblage  was  tinctured  with  treasonable  sentiments, 
and  toasts  against  the  flag  were  always  warmly  ap 
plauded.  As  early  as  July  there  was  much  talk  of 
secession,  accompanied  with  constant  drilling,  and 
threats  of  taking  the  forts  as  soon  as  a  separation 
should  occur. 

To  the  South  Carolinians  Fort  Moultrie  was  al 
most  a  sacred  spot,  endeared  by  many  precious  his 
torical  associations ;  for  the  ancestors  of  most  of  the 
principal  families  had  fought  there  in  the  Revolu 
tionary  War  behind  their  hastily  improvised  ram 
parts  of  palmetto  logs,  and  had  gained  a  glorious  vic 
tory  over  the  British  fleet  in  its  first  attempt  to  enter 
the  harbor  and  capture  the  city. 

The  modern  fort  had  -been  built  nearly  on  the  site 
of  the  ancient  one.  Its  walls  were  but  twelve  feet 
high.  They  were  old,  weak,  and  so  full  of  cracks 
that  it  was  quite  common  to  see  soldiers  climb  to  the 


FORTS  SUMTER   AND  MOULTRIE.  15 

top  by  means  of  the  support  these  crevices  afforded 
to  their  hands  and  feet.  The  constant  action  of  the 
sea-breeze  had  drifted  one  immense  heap  of  sand 
against  the  shore-front  of  the  work,  and  another  in 
the  immediate  vicinity.  These  sand-hills  dominated 
the  parapet,  and  made  the  fort  untenable.  Indeed, 
it  was  originally  built  by  the  engineers  as  a  mere  sea- 
battery,  with  just  sufficient  strength  to  prevent  it  from 
being  taken  by  a  coup  de  main.  As  an  overpower 
ing  force  of  militia  could  always  be  summoned  for 
its  defense,  it  was  supposed  that  no  foreign  army 
would  ever  attempt  to  besiege  it.  The  contingency 
that  the  people  of  Charleston  themselves  might  at 
tack  a  fort  intended  for  their  own  protection  had 
never  been  anticipated. 

Our  force  was  pitifully  small,  even  for  a  time  of 
peace  and  for  mere  police  purposes.  It  consisted  of 
sixty -one  enlisted  men  and  seven  officers,  together 
with  thirteen  musicians  of  the  regimental  band; 
whereas  the  work  called  for  a  war  garrison  of  three 
hundred  men. 

The  first  indication  of  actual  danger  came  from 
Richmond,  Virginia,  in  the  shape  of  urgent  inquiries 
as  to  the  strength  of  our  defenses,  and  the  number  of 
available  troops  in  the  harbor.  These  questions  were 


1 6  REMINISCENCES  OF 

put  by  a  resident  of  that  city  named  Edmund  Rufiin  ; 
an  old  man,  whose  later  years  had  been  devoted  to 
the  formation,  of  disunion  lodges,  and  who  became 
subsequently  noted  for  firing  the  first  gun  at  Fort 
Sumter.  His  love  of  slavery  amounted  to  fanaticism. 
When  the  cause  of  the  Eebellion  became  hopeless, 
he  refused  to  survive  it,  and  committed  suicide. 

In  the  beginning  of  July,  Robert  Barnwell  Rhett, 
and  other  ultra  men  in  Charleston,  made  violent 
speeches  to  the  mob,  urging  them  to  drive  every  Unit 
ed  States  official  out  of  the  State ;  but  as  many  in 
fluential  Secessionists  were  enjoying  the  sweets  of 
Federal  patronage  under  Buchanan,  we  did  not  an 
ticipate  any  immediate  disturbance.  To  influence 
his  hearers  still  more,  Rhett  did  not  hesitate  to  state 
that  Hamlin  was  a  mulatto,  and  he  asked  if  they  in 
tended  to  submit  to  a  negro  vice-president.* 

It  is  an  interesting  question  to  know  how  far  at 
this  period  the  Secretary  of  War  himself  was  loyal. 
Mr.  Dawson,  the  able  editor  of  the  Historical  Maga 
zine,  is  of  opinion,  after  a  careful  investigation  of  the 
facts,  that  Floyd  at  this  time  was  true  to  the  Union, 

*  Hamlin's  father  named  four  of  his  sons,  Europe,  Asia,  Africa,  and 
America.  The  fact  that  one  of  them  was  called  Africa  gave  rise  to 
the  statement  that  he  was  an  African. 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  17 

and  that  he  remained  so  until  December  24th,  when 
it  was  discovered  that  he  had  been  advancing  large 
sums  of  money  from  the  Treasury  to  contractors,  to 
pay  for  work  which  had  never  been  commenced.  To 
make  the  loss  good,  nearly  a  million  of  dollars  was 
taken  from  the  Indian  Trust  Fund. 

Finding  he  would  be  dismissed  from  the  Cabinet 
for  his  complicity  in  these  transactions,  and  would 
also  be  indicted  by  the  Grand  Jury  of  the  District 
of  Columbia,  he  made  a  furious  Secession  speech, 
sent  in  his  resignation,  and  suddenly  left  for  the 
South.*  Mr.  Dawson  founds  his  opinion  in  this  case 
upon  the  statement  of  Fitz  John  Porter,  who  was  a 
major  on  duty  in  the  War  Department  at  the  time, 
and  therefore  apparently  well  qualified  to  judge. 
Floyd's  actions  toward  us,  however,  were  not  those 
of  a  true  man,  and  I  am  of  opinion  that  his  loyalty 
was  merely  assumed  for  the  occasion.  He  sent  sev 
enteen  thousand  muskets  to  South  Carolina,  when  he 
knew  that  Charleston  was  a  hot-bed  of  sedition,  and 
that  in  all  probability  the  arms  would  be  used  against 

*  He  afterward  returned,  gave  bail,  and  appeared  before  the  court, 
because  he  was  aware  that  a  rule  existed  that  parties  who  had  given 
evidence  before  a  Congressional  committee  in  reference  to  any  defal 
cation  could  not  be  tried  for  having  taken  part  in  it. 


1 8  REMINISCENCES  OF 

the  United  States.  Greeley  says,  in  bis  "American 
Conflict,"  that  during  these  turbulent  times  Floyd 
disarmed  the  Government  by  forwarding  one  hun 
dred  and  fifteen  thousand  muskets,  in  all,  to  the 
Southern  Confederacy.*  In  addition  to  this,  he  sold 
large  quantities  of  arms  to  S.  B.  Lamar,  of  Savan 
nah,  and  other  Secessionists  in  the  South,  on  the  plea 
that  the  muskets  thus  disposed  of  did  not  conform  to 
the  latest  army  model.  Just  before  his  resignation, 
he  continued  the  same  policy  by  directing  that  one 
hundred  and  twenty -four  heavy  guns  should  be 
shipped  from  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  to  Ship  Island, 
Mississippi,  where  there  was  no  garrison,  and  to  Gal- 
veston,  Texas.  Yet  this  was  the  official  upon  whom 
we  were  to  rely  for  advice  and  protection.  This  was 
the  wolf  who  was  to  guard  the  fold. 

Our  commander,  Colonel  Gardner,  had  done  good 
service  in  the  War  of  1812  and  in  Mexico ;  but  now, 
owing  to  his  advanced  age,  was  ill  fitted  to  weather 
the  storm  that  was  about  to  burst  upon  us.  In  poli- 

*  It  is  trne  there  is  a  law  .authorizing  the  distribution  of  surplus 
United  States  arms  to  the  States,  but  there  were  no  surplus  muskets 
on  hand  ;  and  even  if  there  had  been,  it  was  a  very  injudicious  time  to 
distribute  them  among  the  insurgent  States.  A  little  delay  would  have 
been  both  patriotic  and  judicious. 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  19 

tics  he  was  quite  Southern,  frequently  asserting  that 
the  South  had  been  treated  outrageously  in  the  ques 
tion  of  the  Territories,  and  defrauded  of  her  just  rights 
in  other  respects.  He  acquiesced,  however,  in  the 
necessity  of  defending  the  fort  should  it  be  attacked  ; 
but  as  he  lived  with  his  family  outside  of  the  walls, 
lie  could  not  take  a  very  active  part  himself.  In 
deed,  on  one  occasion,  when  a  Secession  meeting  was 
held  in  our  immediate  vicinity,  accompanied  with 
many  threats  and  noisy  demonstrations,  he  sent  word 
to  me  to  assume  command  at  once  in  his  place. 

He  now  found  himself  in  a  peculiar  position.  The 
populace  were  becoming  excited,  and  there  was  every 
probability  that  a  collision,  accidental  or  otherwise, 
might  occur  at  any  moment  between  the  troops  and 
the  mob  outside,  if  not  between  the  troops  and  the 
State  militia.  The  dilemma  which  confronted  him 
was  either  to  make  a  disgraceful  surrender  of  his 
command,  or  take  the  other  alternative,  and  fight 
South  Carolina  single-handed,  without  the  aid  or  co 
operation  of  the  General  Government.  .He  thought 
the  difficulty  might  perhaps  be  solved  by  removing 
the  garrison  to  Smith ville,  North  Carolina,  having 
received  permission  to  do  so,  in  case  the  yellow  fe 
ver,  which  had  proved  so  disastrous  the  previous  year, 


20  REMINISCENCES  OF 

should  break  out  again.  Strange  to  say,  some  of  the 
most  ultra  papers  in  the  Southern  interest  in  New 
York  and  Charleston  ridiculed  the  proposed  move 
ment.  They  probably  feared  that  our  absence  might 
deprive  the  conspirators  of  the  prestige  of  an  easy 
victory. 

By  the  middle  of  August  the  country  people  be 
gan  to  be  quite  violent  in  their  language,  and  made 
many  threats  of  what  they  would  do  in  case  of  Lin 
coln's  election. 

While  the  rebellion  was  thus  drifting  onward,  the 
North  remained  quiescent,  utterly  refusing  to  believe 
in  the  existence  of  any  real  danger.  Yet  it  was  pub 
licly  known  that,  although  the  Southern  States  had 
refused  to  commit  themselves  to  Secession,  they  were 
pledged  not  to  allow  South  Carolina  to  be  coerced, 
and  this  practically  amounted  to  a  powerful  league 
against  the  Union,  since  it  was  a  combination  to 
prevenj  the  enforcement  of  the  laws  which  bound 
the  States  together. 

As  we  were  liable  to  be  attacked  at  any  moment, 
we  desired  to  get  rid  of  the  sand-hills  which  domi 
nated  our  walls.  To  this  end  we  applied  to  the 
Quartermaster-general  (General  Joseph  E.  Johnston) 
for  authority  to  hire  citizen  laborers ;  but  he  declined 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  21 

to  accede  to  the  request,  on  tlie  ground  that  the  work 
did  not  properly  appertain  to  his  department.  He 
was  a  nephew  of  Floyd,  and  soon  went  over  to  the 
enemy.  With  the  exception  of  Robert  E.  Lee,  he 
subsequently  became  the  most  noted  of  all  the  rebel 
generals. 

We  were  gratified,  about  the  1st  of  September,  at 
seeing  some  signs  of  life  in  the  Secretary  of  War, 
which  seemed  to  show  that  he  appreciated  our  dan 
gers  and  difficulties.  He  ordered  First  Lieutenant 
and  Brevet  Captain  John  G-.  Foster,  of  the  engineers, 
to  repair  to  Fort  Moultrie,  and  put  that  and  the  oth 
er  defenses  of  Charleston  harbor  in  perfect  order. 
The  reason  privately  assigned  for  this  was  that  we 
were  drifting  into  complications  with  England  and 
France  with  reference  to  Mexico.  For  one,  I  gave 
the  honorable  secretary  very  little  credit  for  this 
proceeding,  inasmuch  as  he  had  just  previous  to  this 
forwarded  to  South  Carolina  the  means  of  arming 
and  equipping  seventeen  thousand  men  against  the 
United  States.  I,  therefore,  came  to  the  conclu 
sion  that  the  forts  were  to  be  made  ready  for  active 
service,  in  order  that  they  might  be  turned  over  in 
that  condition  to  the  Southern  League. 

Two  young  lieutenants  of  engineers,  G.  W.  Snyder 


22  REMINISCENCES  OF 

and  R.  K.  Meade,  were  soon  after  sent  to  Foster  as 
assistants. 

And  here  it  may  be  well  to  speak  of  the  officers 
of  our  command,  as  they  were  at  that  period.  The 
record  of  their  services  afterward,  during  the  rebell 
ion,  would  constitute  a  volume  in  itself. 

Colonel  John  L.  Gardner  was  wounded  in  the  war 
with  Great  Britain  in  1812.  He  had  also  been  en 
gaged  in  the  war  against  the  Florida  Indians,  and 
the  war  with  Mexico,  receiving  two  brevets  for  the 
battles  of  Cerro  Gordo  and  Contreras. 

Seymour,  Foster,  and  myself  had  also  served  in 
Mexico  as  second  lieutenants  on  our  first  entrance 
into  the  army,  and  Davis  as  a  non-commissioned  offi 
cer  of  an  Indiana  regiment. 

John  G.  Foster,  severely  wounded  at  Molino  del 
Rey,  and  brevetted  captain,  was  one  of  the  most 
fearless  and  reliable  men  in  the  service. 

Captain  Truman  Seymour,  twice  brevetted  for 
gallantry  at  Cerro  Gordo  and  Cherubusco,  was  an 
excellent  artillery  officer,  full  of  invention  and  re 
source,  a  lover  of  poetry,  and  an  adept  at  music  and 
painting. 

First  Lieutenant  Jefferson  C.  Davis,  brave,  gener 
ous,  and  impetuous — the  boy-sergeant  of  Buena  Yis- 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  23 

ta — won  his  first  commission  in  the  regular  army  by 
his  gallantry  in  that  action. 

First  Lieutenant  Theodore  Talbot,  when  very  young, 
had  shared  the  dangers,  privations,  and  sufferings  of 
Fremont's  party  in  their  explorations  to  open  a  path 
way  across  the  continent.  He  was  a  cultivated  man, 
and  a  representative  of  the  chivalry  of  Kentucky, 
equally  ready  to  meet  his  friend  at  the  festive  board, 
or  his  enemy  at  ten  paces. 

Doctor  S.  Wiley  Crawford,  our  assistant  surgeon,  en 
tered  the  service  after  the  Mexican  war.  He  was  a 
genial  companion,  studious,  and  full  of  varied  infor 
mation.  Hjs  ambition  to  win  a  name  as  a  soldier 
soon  induced  him  to  quit  the  ranks  of  the  medical 
profession. 

Hall,  Snyder,  and  Meade  were  recent  graduates  of 
the  Academy,  who  had  never  seen  active  service  in 
the  field.  They  were  full  of  zeal,  intelligence,  and 
energy. 

In  one  respect  we  were  quite  fortunate :  the  habits 
of  the  officers  were  good,  and  there  was  no  dissipa 
tion  or  drunkenness  in  the  garrison.  The  majority 
of  the  men,  too,  were  old  soldiers,  who  could  be  thor 
oughly  relied  upon  under  all  circumstances. 

There  was,  also,  one  civilian  with  us,  Mr.  Edward 


24  REMINISCENCES  OF 

Moale,  who  was  clerk  and  brother-in-law  to  Captain 
Foster.  His  services  were  subsequently  very  valua 
ble  in  many  ways. 

Fearing  that  in  the  course  of  events  our  corre 
spondence  might  be  tampered  with,  I  invented  a  ci 
pher  which  afterward  proved  to  be  very  useful.  It 
enabled  me  to  communicate,  through  my  brother  in 
New  York,  much  valuable  information  to  Mr.  Lin 
coln  at  Springfield,  Preston  King,  Roscoe  Conkling, 
and  other  leaders  of  public  opinion,  in  relation  to  our 
strength  and  resources.* 

Situated  as  we  were,  we  naturally  desired  to  know 
.how  far  Mr.  Buchanan's  Cabinet  was  willing  to  sus 
tain  us.  William  II.  Trescott  of,  South  Carolina,  was 
Assistant  Secretary  of  State  at  this  time,  and  frequent 
ly  corresponded  with  his  brother,  Doctor  Trescott,  in 
Charleston.  "We,  therefore,  naturally  thought  the  views 
of  the  latter  might  indirectly  reflect  those  of  the  Ad 
ministration.  The  doctor  was  of  opinion  there  would 
be  no  attempt  at  coercion  in  case  South  Carolina  se 
ceded,  but  that  all  postal  and  telegraphic  communi- 

*  My  brother  and  myself  each  owned  copies  of  the  same  dictionary. 
Instead  of  using  a  word  in  my  correspondence,  I  simply  referred  to  its 
place  in  the  book,  by  giving  the  number  of  the  page,  number  of  the 
column,  and  number  of  the  word  from  the  top  of  the  page. 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MO UL TRIE.  25 

cation  would  cease,  and  a  man-of-war  be  placed  out 
side  to  collect  the  revenue.  This  arrangement  would 
leave  our  little  force  isolated  and  deserted,  to  bear 
the  brunt  of  whatever  might  occur. 

In  October  the  disunionists  became  more  bitter, 
but  they  were  not  disposed  to  be  aggressive,  as  they 
thought  Buchanan  could  be  relied  upon  not  to  take 
any  decisive  action  against  them. 

Colonel  Gardner  would  not  at  this  time  mount  the 
guns,  or  take  any  precautions  whatever.  He  alleged, 
with  reason,  that  the  work  was  all  torn  to  pieces  by 
the  engineers ;  that  it  was  full  of  debris,  and  that, 
under  the  circumstances,  he  was  not  responsible  for 
any  thing  that  might  happen.  We  had  been  prom 
ised  a  considerable  number  of  recruits,  but  they  were 
kept  back ;  and  we  now  ascertained  that  none  would 
be  sent  until  late  in  December,  after  the  crisis  was 
over. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  month  I  became  quite  un 
popular  in  Charleston ;  partly  on  account  of  my  anti- 
slavery  sentiments,  but  more  especially  because  some 
very  offensive  articles,  written  from  that  city,  had  ap 
peared  in  the  Northern  papers,  and  were  attributed  to 
me.  It  seems  that  at  this  very  time  an  abolition  cor 
respondent  of  the  New  York  Tribune  was  employed 


26  REMINISCENCES  OF 

in  the  office  of  Rhett's  paper,  the  Charleston  Mercu 
ry.  This  man  professed  to  be  the  most  loud-mouthed 
secessionist  of  them  all.  In  conversation  with  me 
afterward,  he  claimed  to  be  the  author  of  the  arti 
cles  referred  to. 

In  truth,  these  were  days  of  extraordinary  proscrip 
tion  for  opinion's  sake.  I  heard  with  profound  indig 
nation  of  the  case  of  a  poor  seamstress  from  New 
York,  who  had  been  sent  to  jail  in  Charleston  simply 
for  stating  that  she  did  not  believe  in  the  institution 
of  slavery.  On  appealing  to  the  then  mayor  of  New 
York,  Fernando  Wood,  he  replied  that  he  was  re 
joiced  she  was  in  prison,  and  hoped  she  would  be 
kept  there. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  month,  the  South  Carolina 
leaders  began  to  fear  that  the  other  Southern  States 
would  not  join  them,  and  were  engaged  in  discussing 
the  subject  of  a  French  protectorate. 

The  negroes  overheard  a  great  deal  that  was  said 
by  their  masters,  and  in  consequence  became  excited 
and  troublesome,  for  the  news  flew  like  wild -fire 
among  them  that  "  Massa  Linkum  "  was  coming  to 
set  them  all  free. 

The  enthusiasm  of  the  moneyed  men  in  Charleston 
began  to  cool  when  they  reflected  upon  the  enormous 


FORTS  SUMTER  KND  MO UL TRIE.  27 

expenses  involved  in  keeping  up  a  standing  army  in 
an  agricultural  State  like  South  Carolina.  At  the  re 
quest  of  some  Union  men,  Captain  Seymour  made  a 
startling  exhibit,  showing  the  large  amount  required 
to  maintain  even  a  moderate  force.  It  had  a  good 
effect  upon  the  merchants,  and,  indeed,  if  the  other 
Southern  States  had  not  promptly  sustained  South  Car 
olina,  the  movement  must  have  soon  collapsed  from 
its  inherent  weakness. 

Although  the  secession  leaders  were  preparing  to 
meet  coercion,  if  it  should  come,  I  will  do  them  the 
justice  to  say  that  they  determined  to  commit  no 
overt  act  against  the  Union  so  long  as  the  State  formed 
an  integral  part  of  it.  They  soon  found,  however, 
that  the  mob  did  not  recognize  these  fine  distinctions. 
It  was  easy  to  raise  the  storm,  but,  once  under  full 
headway,  it  was  difficult  to  govern  it.  Independent 
companies  and  minute-men  were  everywhere  form 
ing,  in  opposition  to  their  wishes ;  for  these  organiza 
tions,  from  their  very  nature,  were  quite  unmanage 
able.  The  military  commanders  much  preferred  the 
State  militia,  because  they  could  control  it  by  law. 
A  gentleman  from  the  country,  who  had  joined  the 
minute-men,  came  in  one  day  to  the  Charleston  Hotel, 
with  a  huge  cockade  on  his  hat,  expecting  to  be  re- 


28  REMINISCENCES  OF 

ceiv7ed  with  great  applause ;  but,  to  his  astonishment, 
he  was  greeted  with  laughter  and  ridicule. 

On  the  29th  of  October,  General  Scott  wrote  his 
celebrated  letter  to  the  President,  recommending 
that  strong  garrisons  be  placed  at  once  in  all  the 
Southern  forts.  Undoubtedly  this  was  good  advice ; 
but  as  our  army  was  widely  scattered  all  over  the 
West  to  protect  the  frontier  settlements  from  the 
Indians,  only  five  small  companies  were  available  for 
the  purpose.  The  suggestion,  therefore,  had  but  lit 
tle  practical  value. 

November  had  arrived.  The  muttering  of  the 
storm  was  heard  all  around  us,  and  yet  not  one  word 
of  counsel  or  encouragement  came  from  Washing 
ton.  Colonel  Gardner  began  to  feel  uneasy  at  this 
studied  silence,  and  determined  to  place  the  responsi 
bility  of  any  disaster  that  might  occur  where  it  prop 
erly  belonged.  On  the  1st  of  the  month  he  made  a 
full  report  to  his  next  superior  officer,  General  Wool, 
at  Troy,  New  York,  to  be  forwarded  to  the  Secretary 
of  War,  in  relation  to  the  dangers  that  threatened  us, 
and  our  imperfect  means  of  defense.  He  notified 
them  that  our  provisions  would  be  exhausted  by  the 
20th  of  the  month,  and  that  we  were  very  deficient 
in  ammunition  and  military  supplies  generally.  The 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  29 

secretary,  in  his  answer  to  this  communication,  sim 
ply  expressed  his  regret  that  he  had  not  been  in 
formed  of  all  this  before.  This  sympathy  was  no 
doubt  very  gratifying ;  but,  being  of  an  entirely  pas 
sive  nature,  did  not  benefit  us  in  the  least.  Colonel 
Gardner,  at  our  solicitation,  directed  that  the  guns 
which  had  been  dismounted  to  enable  the  engineers 
to  make  their  repairs  be  remounted  at  once,  and 
Seymour's  company  and  mine  soon  placed  them  in 
position.  It  was  of  little  use,  however,  to  have  our 
armament  in  readiness,  unless  the  approaches  to  the 
fort  could  be  carefully  watched.  This  it  was  impos 
sible  to  do  by  the  ordinary  system  of  guard  duty ; 
but  I  suggested  a  plan  which  enabled  us  to  have  an 
ample  number  of  sentinels,  without  exhausting  the 
men.  It  was  done  by  placing  each  man  on  guard 
for  a  single  hour,  between  tattoo  and  reveille,  allow 
ing  him  to  sleep  for  the  remainder  of  the  night. 


30  REMINISCENCES  OF 


CHAPTEE  II. 

PREPARATIONS   FOR   DEFENSE. 

Defeat  of  Captain  Seymour's  Expedition  on  the  Ashley. — Mayor 
Macbeth 's  Explanation. — Captain  Foster's  Work  on  Fort  Moultrie. 
— Governor  Gist  convenes  the  South  Carolina  Legislature. — Crea 
tion  of  a  Standing  Army. — Arrival  of  Masons  from  Baltimore. 
— Situation  of  Fort  Sumter. — A  Dramatic  Incident. — Secretary 
Floyd's  Action. — Horace  Greeley's  Advocacy  of  the  Right  of  Se 
cession. — The  Situation  November  18th. 

THE  United  States  Arsenal  in  Charleston  is  situ 
ated  on  the  banks  of  the  Ashley  River.  It  looked 
feasible  to  go  there  in  a  boat  without  attracting  at 
tention,  and  procure  a  full  supply  of  cartridges  and 
other  articles  which  were  very  much  needed.  Cap 
tain  Seymour  volunteered  for  the  service,  and  was 
sent  over  with  a  small  party,  early  in  the  afternoon. 
Notwithstanding  he  took  every  precaution,  some  spy 
belonging  to  a  vigilance  committee  followed  him, 
and  reported  the  facts  in  the  city.  Seymour  at  once 
found  himself  beset  by  an  excited  mob,  and  wholly 
prevented  from  accomplishing  the  object  of  his  mis 
sion.  Colonel  Gardner  wrote  to  Mayor  Macbeth  for 


FORTS  SUMTRR  AND  MOULTRIE.  31 

an  explanation.  The  latter  apologized  politely  for 
this  unexpected  occurrence,  and,  speaking  for  himself 
and  other  city  officials,  stated  that  so  long  as  they 
staid  in  the  Union  they  desired  to  remain  faithful  to 
its  obligations,  and  that  no  further  obstacles  would 
be  thrown  in  the  way  of  another  expedition.  Col 
onel  Gardner,  however,  did  not  send  out  again,  think 
ing,  perhaps,  the  mob  might  be  beyond  the  control 
of  the  mayor. 

Since  his  arrival,  Captain  Foster  had  been  hard  at 
work  on  the  fort.  He  had  hired  laborers  from  the 
vicinity  of  Charleston,  and  had  sent  to  Baltimore  for 
a  large  number  of  masons  who  had  formerly  worked 
for  him.  In  spite  of  his  efforts,  we  were  still  in  a 
very  weak  condition,  and  unable  to  defend  ourselves. 
It  is  true  the  sand  had  been  removed  from  the  sea- 
face  of  the  work ;  but  as  that  front  had  no  flanking 
defenses,  the  angles  in  the  wall  were  torn  down  to 
enable  the  engineers  to  construct  double  caponieres 
there.  This  left  great  gaps,  through  which  an  as 
saulting  party  could  penetrate  at  any  moment.  Per 
haps  in  one  sense  it  added  to  our  security,  for  there 
was  no  glory  to  be  acquired  in  capturing  a  fort 
which  was  wide  open  and  defenseless.  Crowds  of 
excited  countrymen,  wearing  secession  cockades,  con- 


32  REMINISCENCES  OF 

stantly  came  to  visit  the  work ;  and  on  the  3d  of  No 
vember  they  formed  in  procession  and  marched 
around  it,  but  did  not  offer  any  violence. 

It  may  not  be  improper  to  state  that  I  was  the 
only  officer  of  the  command  who  favored  Lincoln's 
election.  As  regards  my  companions,  however,  there 
was  no  difference  of  opinion  in  regard  to  sustaining 
the. new  President  should  he  be  legally  elected,  and 
they  were  all  both  willing  and  anxious  to  defend  the 
fort  confided  to  their  honor. 

In  view  of  the  probable  success  of  the  Republican 
candidate  for  the  presidency,  Governor  Gist  called 
the  South  Carolina  Legislature  together,  to  meet  on 
Monday,  the  5th  of  November.  In  his  message  he 
recommended  the  immediate  formation  of  a  stand 
ing  army  of  ten  thousand  men ;  and  that  all  persons 
between  the  ages  of  eighteen  and  forty-five  be  armed 
for  immediate  service.  In  consequence  of  this  rec 
ommendation,  by  the  9th  of  November  the  whole 
State  was  swarming  with  minute-men. 

The  spark  came  at  last  which  was  to  set  fire  to  the 
magazine.  The  startling  news  of  Lincoln's  election 

O  O 

reached  Charleston  on  the  7th  of  November.  As 
this  event  was  sure  to  lead  to  secession,  the  Disunion- 
ists  were  wild  with  delight.  In  their  exuberance  of 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  33 

spirits,  they  ran  through  the  streets  shouting  "  Hurra 
for  Lincoln!"  The  United  States  District  Court, 
which  was  in  session,  at  once  broke  up,  and  its  judge, 
Magrath,  sent  in  his  resignation.  In  the  evening  of 
the  same  day,  Edmund  Ruffin,  who  has  already  been 
referred  to,  made  a  fiery  secession  speech  to  an  im 
mense  audience  at  the  capitol  of  the  State.  The 
Legislature,  inflamed  by  public  sentiment,  called  a 
convention,  to  meet  on  the  17th  of  the  month,  to  de 
cide  the  question  of  secession.  Governor  Joseph  E. 
Brown,  of  Georgia,  also  called  a  convention  there  for 
the  same  purpose ;  and  the  excitement  in  each  State 
constantly  reacted  on  the  other. 

In  the  early  part  of  November,  one  hundred  and 
fifty  masons  arrived  from  Baltimore  to  work  on  the 
forts  in  the  harbor.  They  were  undoubtedly  good 
workmen,  but  it  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  they 
were  not  also  good  Unionists.  Captain  Foster  at 
this  time  did  not  believe  that  any  serious  complica 
tions  would  arise  from  the  attitude  South  Carolina 
had  assumed,  and  did  not,  therefore,  think  it  neces 
sary  to  pay  any  attention  to  the  politics  of  his  labor 
ers.  Had  he  selected  zealous  Union  men,  their  ar 
rival  would  have  been  a  most  opportune  re-enforce 
ment  for  the  garrison.  Unfortunately,  most  of  them 

2* 


34  REMINISCENCES  OF 

sympathized  with  the  South,  and  their  coming  was 
rather  a  source  of  weakness  than  of  strength,  so  far 
as  actual  fighting  was  concerned.  They  rendered  us, 
however,  great  and  timely  assistance  by  their  labor. 

The  first  thing  that  attracted  the  eye  of  the  stran 
ger,  upon  approaching  Charleston  from  the  sea,  was 
Fort  Sumter.  It  was  built  on  an  artificial  island 
made  of  large  blocks  of  stone.  The  walls  were  of 
dark  brick,  and  designed  'for  three  tiers  of  guns. 
The  whole  structure,  as  it  rose  abruptly  out  of  the 
water,  had  a  gloomy,  prison-like  appearance.  It  was 
situated  on  the  edge  of  the  channel,  in  the  narrow 
est  part  of  the  harbor,  between  Fort  Moultrie  and 
Cummings  Point,  distant  about  a  mile  from  the 
former  place,  and  twelve  hundred  yards  from  the 
latter.  The  year  before,  it  had  been  used  by  us  as 
a  temporary  place  of  confinement  and  security  for 
some  negroes  that  had  been  brought  over  from  Af 
rica  in  a  slaver  captured  by  one  of  our  naval  vessels. 
The  inevitable  conflict  was  very  near  breaking  out 
at  that  time ;  for  there  was  an  eager  desire  on  the 
part  of  all  the  people  around  us  to  seize  these  negroes, 
and  distribute  them  among  the  plantations ;  and  if  the 
Government  had  not  acted  promptly  in  sending  them 
back  to  Africa,  I  think  an  attempt  would  have  been 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  35 

made  to  take  them  from  us  by  force,  on  the  ground 
that  some  of  them  had  violated  a  State  law  by  land 
ing  at  Moultrieville. 

As  Fort  Snmter  has  considerable  historic  renown, 
it  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  relate  another  incident 
connected  with  it,  although  it  is  not  germane  to  my 
narrative.  In  1859,  after  the  negroes  were  taken 
away,  the  fort  remained  in  charge  of  an  ordnance-ser 
geant,  who  lived  there  alone  with  his  wife  and  two 
little  children.  Supplies  were  sent  to  him  regularly, 
but  in  case  of  emergency  he  could  only  communicate 
with  the  shore  by  means  of  a  small  boat.  One  wild 
stormy  day,  when  the  wind  was  blowing  a  gale,  he 
was  suddenly  struck  down  with  yellow  fever.  His 
wife  saw  that  if  he  did  not  have  immediate  medical 
assistance  he  would  die.  She  herself  could  not  go, 
as  he  required  constant  attention,  and  the  children 
were  too  young  -to  be  of  any  service.  A  day  passed 
on,  and  it  became  evident  that  he  was  growing  worse. 
In  a  frantic  state  of  mind,  she  rushed  up  to  the  top 
of  the  fort,  waved  a  sheet  backward  and  forward,  and 
raised  and  lowered  the  garrison  flag  repeatedly,  in 
hopes  of  attracting  the  attention  of  some  passing  ves 
sel  ;  but  although  several  went  by,  no  one  seemed  to 
notice  the  signals,  or,  if  they  did,  they  would  not  stop. 


36  REMINISCENCES  OF 

on  account  of  the  tempest,  which  still  continued.  She 
then  took  the  desperate  resolution  of  putting  her  two 
little  children  in  the  small  boat,  and  trusting  to  the 
flood-tide  to  drift  them  somewhere  in  the  vicinity  of 
Charleston.  She  placed  a  letter  in  the  hand  of  one 
of  them,  to  be  given  to  the  first  person  they  met,  im 
ploring  that  a  physician  might  be  sent  to  her  at  once. 
It  was  a  terrible  experiment,  for  the  children  might 
easily  have  been  swept  out  to  sea  by  the  ebb-tide  be 
fore  they  could  make  a  landing.  They  succeeded, 
however,  in  reaching  the  shore  near  Mount  Pleasant. 
A  doctor  finally  arrived,  but  too  late  to  be  of  any 
service. 

Foster  wanted  forty  muskets  to  arm  some  of  his 
workmen,  as  a  guard  for  the  powder  in  Fort  Sumter, 
and  for  valuable  public  property  in  Castle  Pinckney. 
This  was  approved  at  Washington ;  but  the  moment 
Ire  obtained  the  guns  from  the  arsenal,  the  Secretary 
of  War  hastily  telegraphed  him,  in  the  middle  of  the 
night,  to  send  them  back  again  immediately.  And  yet 
at  this  same  period  two  thousand  additional  United 
States  muskets  were  forwarded  by  Floyd's  order  to 
South  Carolina ;  and  the  Charleston  Courier  stated 
that  five  thousand  more  were  on  their  way.  This  did 
not  look  much  as  if  the  Administration  intended  to 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  37 

t 

sustain  us.  While  the  honorable  secretary  was  thus 
supplying  our  enemies  with  arms,  and  leaving  the 
United  States  Arsenal  in  Charleston,  full  of  military 
stores,  without  a  guard,  he  was  very  solicitous  to  as 
certain  whether  our  garrison  duties  were  accurately 
performed,  and  sent  an  assistant  inspector -general, 
Major  Fitz  John  Porter,  to  make  a  thorough  exam 
ination.  As  the  secretary  intended  neither  to  re-en 
force  nor  withdraw  us,  and  as  he  made  no  effort  at  any 
time  to  remedy  defects  in  our  armament,  this  inspec 
tion  seemed  to  us  to  be  a  mere  pretense.  It  resulted, 
however,  in  relieving  Colonel  Gardner  from  his  com 
mand,  on  Porter's  recommendation,  Major  Eobert 
Anderson  being  ordered  to  take  his  place. 

Mr.  Greeley  was  at  this  time  the  head  of  the  Re 
publican  party,  and  one  of  the  great  leaders  of  North 
ern  opinion.  His  immense  services  in  rousing  the  pub 
lic  mind  to  the  evils  of  slavery  can  not  be  overesti 
mated,  but  some  of  his  views  were  too  hastily  formed 
and  promulgated.  In  this  crisis  of  our  history  he 
injured  the  cause  he  afterward  so  eloquently  advo 
cated  by  publishing  an  opinion,  on  the  9th  of  Novem 
ber,  that  the  South  had  a  perfect  right  to  secede  when 
ever  a  majority  thought  proper  to  do  so;  and,  in  an 
other  communication,  he  stated  that  the  Union  could 


38  REMINISCENCES  OF 

not  be' pinned  together  with  bayonets.  General  Scott 
was  also  at  one  time  in  favor  of  letting  the  "  wayward 
sisters  depart  in  peace ;"  and  I  have  heard  on  good  au 
thority  that  at  least  one  member  of  the  Cabinet  and 
one  leading  general,  appalled  by  the  magnitude  of 
the  conflict,  were  willing  to  consent  to  a  separation, 
provided  the  Border  States  would  go  with  the  North. 
Greeley's  article  went  farther  than  this,  for  it  seemed 
to  favor  a  simple  severance  of  the  North  and  the 
South.  This  was  not  only  a  virtual  abandonment  of 
the  rights  of  Northern  men  who  had  invested  their 
capital  in  the  Southern  States,  but  it  amounted  to  giv 
ing  up  all  the  sea-coast  and  magnificent  harbors  south 
of  New  Jersey,  including  Chesapeake  Bay.  It  was 
expressing  a  willingness  to  surrender  the  mouth  of 
the  Mississippi,  the  commerce  of  the  great  North- west, 
and  the  Capitol  at  Washington,  to  the  control  of  a  for 
eign  nation,  hostile  to  us  from  the  very  nature  of  its 
institutions.  In  fact,  it  was  a  proposition  to  commit 
national  suicide.  The  new  Northern  republic  would 
have  been  three  thousand  miles  long,  and  only  one 
hundred  mUes  wide,  in  the  vicinity  of  Wheeling.  A 
country  of  such  a  peculiar  shape  could  not,  as  every 
military  man  knows,  have  been  successfully  defended, 
and  must  inevitably  have  soon  broken  up  into  small 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  39 

confederacies.  We  objected,  with  reason,  to  the  for 
mation  of  a  European  monarchy  in  far-off  Mexico, 
but  the  proposed  separation  would  have  created  a 
powerful  slave  empire,  with  its  northern  border  with 
in  eighteen  miles  of  Philadelphia.  Once  firmly  es 
tablished  there  and  along  the  Ohio,  the  Southern 
army  could  have  burned  Cincinnati  from  the  oppo 
site  shore,  and  have  penetrated  to  Lake  Erie  by  a  sin 
gle  successful  battle  and  march,  permanently  sever 
ing  the  East  from  the  West. 

These  unexpected  views  of  Mr.  Greeley  strength 
ened  the  hands  of  the  Disunionists.  They  were  ev 
erywhere  quoted  as  evidence  that  no  attempt  would 
be  made  to  interfere  with  or  coerce  the  South.  The 
fearful  and  wavering  were  thus  induced  to  join  the 
clamorous  majority. 

I  think,  too,  that  the  publication  of  these  senti 
ments  did  much  to  influence  the  after-conduct  of 
Major  Anderson.  He  was  not  a  Republican  himself, 
and  he  may  very  w^ell  have  thought,  if  the  Republic 
an  leaders  did  not  deny  the  right  of  secession,  there 
was  little  use  in  his  sacrificing  his  small  command  in 
a  feeble  attempt  to  make  South  Carolina  remain  in 
the  Union. 

The  sky  darkened  after  this,  for  Georgia  voted  a 


40  REMINISCENCES  OF 

million  of  dollars  to  raise  troops,  and  it  became  evi 
dent  that  the  other  Southern  States  would  follow  in 
the  same  direction. 

By  the  18th  of  November  we  considered  ourselves 
reasonably  secure  against  a  coup-de-main.  Our  guns 
were  up,  and  loaded  with  canister,  and  we  had  a  fail- 
supply  of  hand-grenades  ready  for  use.  With  a 
view  to  intimidate  those  who  were  planning  an  at 
tack,  I  occasionally  fired  toward  the  sea  an  eight-inch 
howitzer,  loaded  with  double  canister.  The  spatter 
ing  of  so  many  balls  in  the  water  looked  very  de 
structive,  and  startled  and  amazed  the  gaping  crowds 
around.  I  also  amused  myself  by  making  some  small 
mines,  which  would  throw  a  shell  a  few  feet  out  of 
the  ground  whenever  any  person  accidentally  trod 
upon  a  concealed  plank :  of  course  the  shell  did  not 
have  a  bursting  charge  in  it.  These  experiments 
had  a  cooling  effect  upon  the  ardor  of  the  militia, 
who  did  not  fancy  storming  the  fort  over  a  line  of 
torpedoes. 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MO UL TRIE.  41 


CHAPTER  III. 

PKELIMINAKY   MOVEMENTS   OF   THE   SECESSIONISTS. 

Arrival  of  Major  Anderson. — Huger's  Opposition  to  a  premature  As 
sault  on  Fort  Moultrie. — Anderson's  Keport  to  the  Secretary  of 
War. — Active  Preparations  by  the  South  Carolinians. — Meeting 
of  Congress. — Attempts  at  Compromise. — Secession  Batteries  at 
Mount  Pleasant. — Arrival  of  Major  Buell  with  written  Orders. — 
Vain  Efforts  to  Strengthen  Castle  Pinckney. — Northern  Opinion. 
— Public  Meeting  in  Philadelphia. 

IT  was  now  openly  proclaimed  in  Charleston  that 
declarations  in  favor  of  the  Union  would  no  longer 
be  tolerated ;  that  the  time  for  deliberation  had 
passed,  and  the  time  for  action  had  come. 

On  the  21st  our  new  commander  arrived  and  as 
sumed  command.  He  felt  as  if  he  had  a  hereditary 
right  to  be  there,  for  his  father  had  distinguished 
himself  in  the  Revolutionary  War  in  defense  of  old 
Fort  Moultrie  against  the  British,  and  had  been  con 
fined  a  long  time  as  a  prisoner  in  Charleston.  We 
had  long  known  Anderson  as  a  gentleman ;  courte 
ous,  honest,  intelligent,  and  thoroughly  versed  in  his 


42  REMINISCENCES   OF 

profession.  He  had  been  twice  brevetted  for  gal 
lantry — once  for  services  against  the  Seminole  In 
dians  in  Florida,  and  once  for  the  battle  of  Molino 
del  Rey  in  Mexico,  where  he  was  badly  wounded. 
In  politics  he  was  a  strong  pro-slavery  man.  Never 
theless,  he  was  opposed  to  secession  and  Southern  ex 
tremists.  He  soon  found  himself  in  troubled  waters, 
for  the  approaching  battle  of  Fort  Moultrie  was 
talked  of  everywhere  throughout  the  State,  and  the 
mob  in  Charleston  could  hardly  be  restrained  from 
making  an  immediate  assault.  They  were  kept  back 
once  through  the  exertions  of  Colonel  Benjamin 
Huger,  of  the  Ordnance  Department  of  the  United 
States  Army.  As  he  belonged  to  one  of  the  most 
distinguished  families  in  Charleston,  he  had  great  in 
fluence  there.  It  was  said  at  the  time  that  he  threat 
ened  if  we  were  attacked,  or  rather  mobbed,  in  this 
way,  he  would  join  us,  and  fight  by  the  side  of  his 
friend  Anderson.*  Colonel  Memminger,  afterward 
the  Confederate  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  also  exert- 

*  He  left  the  United  States  service  soon  after  the  attack  on  Fort 
Sumter,  and  joined  the  Confederates.  He  did  so  reluctantly,  for  he 
had  gained  great  renown  in  our  army  for  his  gallantry  in  Mexico,  and 
he  knew  he  would  soon  have  been  promoted  to  the  position  of  Chief 
of  our  Ordnance  Department  had  he  remained  with  us. 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  43 

ed  himself  to  prevent  any  irregular  and  unauthorized 
violence. 

An  additional  force  of  workmen  having  arrived 
from  Baltimore,  Captain  Foster  retained  one  hundred 
and  twenty  to  continue  the  work  on  Fort  Moultrie, 
leaving  his  assistant,  Lieutenant  Snyder,  one  hundred 
and  nine  men  to  finish  Fort  Sumter. 

On  the  1st  of  December,  Major  Anderson  made  a 
full  report  to  Secretary  Floyd  in  relation  to  our  con 
dition  and  resources.  It  was  accompanied  with  req 
uisitions,  in  due  form,  for  supplies  and  military  ma 
terial.  Colonel  Gardner,  before  he  left,  had  already 
applied  for  rations  for  the  entire  command  for  six 
months. 

Previous  to  Lincoln's  election,  Governor  Gist  had 
stated  that  in  that  event  the  State  would  undoubted 
ly  secede,  and  demand  the  forts,  and  that  any  hesita 
tion  or  delay  in  giving  them  np  would  lead  to  an  im 
mediate  assault.  Active  preparations  were  now  in 
progress  to  carry  out  this  threat.  In  the  first  week 
of  December  we  learned  that  cannon  had  been  se 
cretly  sent  to  the  northern  extremity  of  the  island, 
to  guard  the  channel  and  oppose  the  passage  of  any 
vessels  bringing  us  re-enforcements  by  that  entrance. 
We  learned,  too,  that  lines  of  countervallation  had 


44  REMINISCENCES  OF 

been  quietly  marked  out  at  night,  with  a  view  to  at 
tack  the  fort  by  regular  approaches  in  case  the  first 
assault  failed.  Also,  that  two  thousand  of  the  best 
riflemen  in  the  State  were  engaged  to  occupy  an  ad 
jacent  sand-hill  and  the  roofs  of  the  adjoining  houses, 
all  of  which  overlooked  the  parapet,  the  intention  be 
ing  to  shoot  us  down  the  moment  we  attempted  to  man 
our  guns.  Yet  the  Administration  made  no  arrange 
ments  to  withdraw  us,  and  no  effort  to  re-enforce  us, 
because  to  do  the  former  would  excite  great  indigna 
tion  in  the  North,  and  the  latter  might  be  treated  as 
coercion  by  the  South.  So  we  were  left  to  our  own 
scanty  resources,  with  every  probability  that  the  af 
fair  would  end  in  a  massacre.  Under  these  circum 
stances  the  appropriating  of  $150,000  to  repair  Fort 
Moultrie  and  $80,000  to  finish  Fort  Sumter  by  the 
mere  order  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  without  the 
authority  of  Congress,  was  simply  an  expenditure  of 
public  money  for  the  benefit  of  the  Secessionists,  and 
I  have  no  doubt  it  was  so  intended.  Forts  construct 
ed  in  an  enemy's  country,  and  left  unguarded,  are 
built  for  the  enemy. 

Congress  met  on  the  3d  of  December,  but  took  no 
action  in  relation  to  our  peculiar  position.  As  usual, 
their  whole  idea  was  to  settle  the  matter  by  some  new 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  45 

compromise.  The  old  experiment  was  to  be  tried 
over  again :  St.  Michael  and  the  Dragon  were  to  lie 
down  in  peace,  and  become  boon  companions  once 
more. 

The  office-holders  in  the  South,  who  saw  in  Lin 
coln's  election  an  end  to  their  pay  and  emoluments, 
were.  Secessionists  to  a  man,  and  did  their  best  to 
keep  up  the  excitement.  They  tried  -to  make  the 
poor  whites  believe  that  through  the  re-opening  of  the 
African  slave-trade  negroes  would  be  for  sale,  in  a 
short  time,  at  thirty  dollars  a  head ;  and  that  every 
laboring  man  would  soon  become  a  rich  slave-owner 
and  cotton-planter.  To  the  timid,  they  said  there 
•would  be  no  coercion.  To  the  ambitious,  they  spoke 
of  military  glory,  and  the  formation  of  a  vast  slave 
empire,  to  include  Mexico,  Central  America,  and  the 
West  Indies.  The  merchants  were  assured  that 
Charleston  would  be  a  free  port,  rivaling  New  York 
in  its  trade  and  opulence. 

They  painted  the  future  in  glowing  colors,  but  the 
present  looked  dreary  enough.  All  business  was  at 
an  end.  The  expenses  of  the  State  had  become  enor 
mous,  and  financial  ruin  was  rapidly  approaching. 
The  heavy  property-owners  began  to  fear  they  might 
have  to  bear  the  brunt  of  all  these  military  prepara- 


46  REMINISCENCES  OF 

tions  in  the  way  of  forced  loans.*  For  a  time  a 
strong  reaction  set  in  against  the  Rhett  faction,  but 
intimidation  and  threats  prevented  any  open  retro 
grade  movement. 

Among  those  who  were  reported  to  be  most  clam 
orous  to  have  an  immediate  attack  made  upon  us, 
was  a  certain  captain  of  the  United  States  Dragoons, 
named  Lucius  B.  Northrup ;  afterward  made  Pay 
master-gen  ei'al  of  South  Carolina,  and  subsequently, 
through  the  personal  friendship  of  Jeff.  Davis,  pro 
moted  to  be  Commissary-general  of  the  rebel  army. 
He  had  resided  for  several  years  in  Charleston  on 
sick-leave,  on  full  pay.  Before  urging  an  assault  he 
should  have  had  the  grace  to  resign  his  commission, 
for  his  oath  of  office  bound  him  to  be  a  friend  to  his 
comrades  in  the  army,  and  not  an  enemy.  I  am 
tempted,  in  this  connection,  to  show  how  differently 
the  rebel  general  Magruder  acted,  under  similar  cir 
cumstances,  when  he  was  a  captain  and  brevet  col 
onel  in  our  service.  He  said  to  his  officers,  the  even 
ing  before  he  rode  over  the  Long  Bridge,  at  Wash- 

*  About  a  month  afterward  the  Honorable  William  Aiken,  who 
was  a  Union  man,  and  who  had  formerly  been  governor  of  the  State, 
and  a  member  of  Congress,  was  compelled  to  pay  forty  thousand  dol 
lars  as  his  share  of  the  war  taxes. 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTR2E.  47 

ington,  to  join  the  Confederates,  "  If  the  rebels  come 
to-night,  we'll  give  them  hell ;  but  to-morrow  I  shall 
send  in  my  resignation,  and  become  a  rebel  my 
self." 

Amidst  all  this  turmoil,  onr  little  band  of  regulars 
kept  their  spirits  up,  and  determined  to  fight  it  out 
to  the  last  against  any  force  that  might  be  brought 
against  them.  The  brick-layers,  however,  at  work  in 
Fort  Sumter  were  considerably  frightened.  They 
held  a  meeting,  and  resolved  to  defend  themselves,  if 
attacked  by  the  Charleston  roughs,  but  not  to  resist 
any  organized  force. 

On  the  11  th  of  December  we  had  the  good  for- 

o 

tune  to  get  our  provisions  from  town  without  excit 
ing  observation.  They  had  been  lying  there  several 
days.  It  was  afterward  stated  in  the  papers  that  the 
captain  of  the  schooner  was  threatened  severely  for 
having  brought  them.  On  the  same  day  the  enemy 
began  to  build  batteries  at  Mount  Pleasant,  and  at 
the  upper  end  of  Sullivan's  Island,  guns  having  al 
ready  been  sent  there.  We  also  heard  that  ladders 
had  been  provided  for  parties  to  escalade  our  walls. 
Indeed,  the  proposed  attack  was  no  longer  a  secret. 
Gentlemen  from  the  city  said  to  us,  "We  appreciate 
your  position.  It  is  a  point  of  honor  with  you  to 


REMINISCENCES  OF 


hold  the  fort,  but  a  political  necessity  obliges  us  to 
take  it." 

My  wife,  becoming  indignant  at  these  preparations, 
and  the  utter  apathy  of  the  Government  in  regard  to 
our  affairs,  wrote  a  stirring  letter  to  my  brother,  in 
New  York,  stating  some  of  the  facts  I  have  mentioned. 
By  some  means  it  found  its  way  into  the  columns  of 
the  Evening  Post,  and  did  much  to  call  attention  to 
the  subject,,  and  awaken  the  Northern  people  to  a  true 
sense  of  the  situation.  She  was  quite  distressed  to 
find  her  hasty  expressions  in  print,  and  freely  com 
mented  on  both  by  friends  and  enemies.  I  may  say, 
in  passing,  that  the  distinguished  editor  of  that  paper, 
William  Cullen  Bryant,  proved  to  be  one  of  the  best 
friends  we  had  at  the  North.  George  W.  Curtis,  who 
aided  us  freely  with  his  pen  and  influence,  was  anoth 
er.  They  exerted  themselves  to  benefit  us  in  every 
way,  and  were  among  the  first  to  invoke  the  patriot 
ism  of  the  nation  to  extricate  us  from  our  difficulties, 
and  save  the  union  of  the  States.  When  we  returned 
to  New  York,  they  and  their  friends  gave  us  a  cordial 
and  heartfelt  welcome. 

To  resume  the  thread  of  my  narrative.  The  fort 
by  this  time  had  been  considerably  strengthened. 
The  crevices  were  filled  up,  and  the  walls  were  made 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MO UL TRIE.  49 

sixteen  feet  high,  by  digging  down  to  the  foundations 
and  throwing  up  the  surplus  earth  as  a  glacis.  Each 
of  the  officers  had  a  certain  portion  given  him  to  de- 
feud.  I  caused  a  sloping  picket  fence,  technically 
called  a  f raise ,  to  be  projected  over  the  parapet  on 
my  side  of  the  work,  as  an  obstacle  against  an  esca- 
lading  party.  I  understood  that  this  puzzled  the  mil 
itary  men  and  newspapers  in  Charleston  exceedingly. 
They  could  not  imagine  what  object  I  could  have  in 
view.  One  of  the  editors  said,  in  reference  to  it, 
"  Make  ready  your  sharpened  stakes,  but  you  will  not 
intimidate  freemen." 

There  was  one  good  reason  why  our  opponents  did 
not  desire  to  commence  immediate  hostilities.  The 
delay  was  manifestly  to  their  advantage,  for  the  en 
gineers  were  putting  Fort  Sumter  in  good  condition 
at  the  expense  of  the  United  States.  They  (the  reb 
els)  intended  to  occupy  it  as  soon  as  the  work  ap 
proached  completion.  In  the  mean  time,  to  prevent 
our  anticipating  them,  they  kept  two  steamers  on 
guard,  to  patrol  the  harbor,  and  keep  us  from  cross 
ing.  These  boats  contained  one  hundred  and  twenty 
soldiers,  and  were  under  the  command  of  Ex-lieuten 
ant  James  Hamilton,  who  had  recently  resigned  from 
the  United  States  Navy. 


50  REMINISCENCES  OF 

The  threatening  movements  against  Fort  Moultrie 
required  incessant  vigilance  on  our  part,  and  we  were 
frequently  worn  out  with  watching  and  fatigue.  On 
one  of  these  occasions  Mrs.  Seymour  and  Mrs.  Dou- 
bleday  volunteered  to  take  the  places  of  Captain  Sey 
mour  and  myself,  and  they  took  turns  in  walking  the 
parapet,  two  hours  at  a  time,  in  readiness  to  notify 
the  guard  in  case  the  minute-men  became  more  than 
usually  demonstrative. 

In  December  the  secretery  sent  another  officer 
of  the  Inspector -general's  Department,  Major  Don 
Carlos  Buell,  to  examine  and  report  upon  our  con 
dition.  Buell  bore  written  orders,  which  were  pre 
sented  on  the  llth,  directing  Major  Anderson  not  to 
provoke  hostilities,  but  in  case  of  immediate  danger 
to  defend  himself  to  the  last  extremity,  and  take  any 
steps  that  he  might  think  necessary  for  that  purpose. 
There  would  appear  to  be  some  mystery  connected 
with  this  subject,  for  Anderson  afterward  stated  to 
Seymour,  as  a  reason  for  not  firing  when  the  rebels 
attempted  to  sink  the  Star  of  the  West,  that  his  in 
structions  tied  his  hands,  and  obliged  him  to  remain 
quiescent.  Now,  as  there  are  no  orders  of  this  char 
acter  on  record  in  the  War  Department,  they  must 
have  been  of  a  verbal  and  confidential  nature.  In 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  51 

my  opinion,  Floyd  was  fully  capable  of  supplement 
ing  written  orders  to  resist,  by  verbal  orders  to  sur 
render  without  resistance.  If  he  did  so,  I  can  con 
ceive  of  nothing  more  treacherous,  for  his  object 
must  have  been  to  make  Anderson  the  scape-goat  of 
whatever  might  occur.  Buell,  however,  is  not  the 
man  to  be  the  bearer  of  any  treacherous  communica 
tion.  Still,  he  did  riot  appear  to  sympathize  much 
with  us,  for  he  expressed  his  disapproval  of  our  de 
fensive  preparations;  referring  particularly  to  some 
loop-holes  near  the  guard-house,  which  he  said  would 
have  a  tendency  to  irritate  the  people.  I  thought 
the  remark  a  strange  one,  under  the  circumstances, 
as  "  the  people  "  were  preparing  to  attack  us.  I  had 
no  doubt,  at  the  time,  in  spite  of  the  warlike  message 
he  had  brought,  that  BuelFs  expressions  reflected  the 
wishes  of  his  superiors.  *  I  have  ascertained  recently 
that  Floyd  did  have  one  or  more  confidential  agents 
in  Charleston,  who  were  secretly  intermeddling  in 
this  matter,  without  the  sanction  of  the  President  or 
the  open  authority  of  the  War  Office.  It  appears 
from  the  records  that  another  assistant  adjutant- 
general,  Captain  Withers,  who  joined  the  rebels  at 
the  outbreak  of  the  rebellion,  and  became  a  rebel 
general,  was  also  sent  by  Floyd  to  confer  with  An- 


52  REMINISCENCES  OF 

derson.  It  is  not  at  all  improbable,  therefore,  that 
some  one  of  the  messengers  who  actually  joined  the 
enemy  may  have  been  the  bearer  of  a  treasonable 
communication.  It  appears  from  Anderson's  own 
statement  that  his  hands  were  tied,  and  no  one  that 
knew  him  would  ever  doubt  his  veracity.  Yet,  if  he 
really  desired  to  retain  possession  of  Charleston  har 
bor  for  the  Government,  and  Floyd's  orders  stood  in 
his  way,  why  did  he  not,  after  the  latter  fled  to  the 
South,  make  a  plain  statement  to  the  new  secretary, 
Judge  Holt,  whose  patriotism  was  undoubted,  and 
ask  for  fresh  instructions  ?  It  looks  to  me  very  much 
as  if  he  accepted  the  orders  without  question  because 
he  preferred  the  policy  of  non-resistance. 

I  shall  have  occasion  to  refer  to  this  subject  again 
in  the  course  of  my  narrative. 

We  had  frequently  regretted  the  absence  of  a  gar 
rison  in  Castle  Pinckney,  as  that  post,  being  within  a 
mile  of  Charleston,  could  easily  control  the  city  by 
means  of  its  mortars  and  heavy  guns.  We  were  too 
short-handed  ourselves  to  spare  a  single  soldier.  The 
brave  ordnance-sergeant,  Skillen,  who  was  in  charge 
there,  begged  hard  that  we  would  send  him  a  few 
artillerists.  He  could  not  bear  the  thought  of  sur 
rendering  the  work  to  the  enemies  of  the  Govern- 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  53 

raent  without  a  struggle,  and  would  have  made  a  de 
termined  resistance  "if  he  could  have  found  any  one 
to  stand  by  him.  We  talked  the  matter  over,  and 
Captain  Foster  thought  he  could  re-enforce  Skillen 
by  selecting  a  few  reliable  men  from  his  masons  to 
assist  in  defending  the  place.  He  accordingly  sent 
a  body  of  picked  workmen  there,  under  his  assistant, 
Lieutenant  R.  K.  Meade,  with  orders  to  make  certain 
repairs.  The  moment,  however,  Meade  attempted  to 
teach  these  men  the  drill  at  the  heavy  guns,  they 
drew  back  in  great  alarm,  and  it  was  soon  seen  that 
no  dependence  could  be  placed  upon  them.  So  Cas 
tle  Pinckney  was  left  to  its  fate. 

As  the  General  Government  seemed  quietly  to  have 
deserted  us,  we  watched  the  public  sentiment  at  the 
North  with  much  interest.  There  was  but  little  to 
encourage  us  there.  The  Northern  cities,  however, 
were  beginning  to  appreciate  the  gravity  of  the  cri 
sis.  At  the  call  of  the  Mayor  of  Philadelphia,  a  great 
public  meeting  was  held  in  Independence  Square. 
For  one,  I  was  thoroughly  dispirited  and  disgusted 
at  the  resolutions  that  were  passed.  They  were  evi 
dently  prompted  by  the  almighty  dollar,  and  the  fear 
of  losing  the  Southern  trade.  They  urged  that  the 
North  should  be  more  than  ever  subservient  to  the 


54  REMINISCENCES  OF 

South,  more  active  in  catching  fugitive  slaves,  and 
more  careful  not  to  speak  against  the  institution  of 
slavery.  As  a  pendant  to  these  resolutions,  an  offi 
cial  attempt  was  made,  a  few  days  afterward,  to  pre 
vent  the  eloquent  Republican  orator,  George  W.  Cur 
tis,  from  advocating  the  Northern  side  of  the  ques 
tion. 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MO UL TRIE.  55 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  REMOVAL  TO  FORT  SUMTER. 

Passage  of  the  Secession  Ordinance. — Governor  Pickens's  Procla 
mation. — Judge  Petigru's  Visit  to  Fort  Moultrie. — Floyd's  Treach 
ery. — Yancey's  Lectures  in  the  North. — The  Eemoval  to  Fort 
Sumter. 

.  ON  the  17th  a  bill  was  passed  to  arm  the  militia 
of  JSTorth  Carolina. 

On  the  same  day  the  Charleston  Convention  met, 
and  chose  General  D.  F.  Jamison  as  their  president, 
and  on  the  20th  of  the  month  the  secession  ordinance 
was  duly  passed,  and  South  Carolina  voted  out  of  the 
Union  amidst  screams  of  enthusiasm.  Immediately 
afterward  there  was  great  competition  for  the  posses 
sion  of  the  immortal  pen  with  which  the  instrument 
was  signed.  At  the  close  of  the  war,  I  heard  it  was 
for  sale  at  a  very  low  figure. 

The  new  Governor,  Francis  W.  Pickens,  signed  the 
ordinance  very  gladly,  and  issued  his  proclamation 
on  the  24th  declaring  South  Carolina  to  be  a  free 
and  independent  nation.  He  had  served  as  a  mem- 


56  REMINISCENCES  OF 

ber  of  Congress  from  1835  to  1843,  and  as  Minister 
to  Russia  in  1858,  but  he  was  not  considered  a  man 
of  decided  ability.  He  was  very  impetuous  in  his 
disposition,  and,  according  to  a  statement  made  by 
him  in  one  of  his  Congressional  speeches,  which  at 
tracted  much  attention  at  the  time,  he  was  "  born  in 
sensible  to  fear." 

Soon  after  the  State  seceded,  that  stern  old  patriot, 
Judge  J.  L.  Petigru,  of  South  Carolina,  came  over, 
with  one  of  his  friends,  to  pay  us  a  final  visit,  to  ex 
press  the  deep  sorrow  and  sympathy  he  felt  for  us  in 
our  trying  position.  As  he  knew  that  arrangements 
were  being  made  to  drive  us  out,  he  bade  us  fare 
well  with  much  feeling.  The  tears  rolled  down  his 
cheeks  as  he  deplored  the  folly  and  the  madness  of 
the  times.  He  had  been  previously  asked  in  the  city 
if  he  did  not  intend  to  join  the  secession  movement. 
He  replied,  "/  should  think  not !  South  Carolina  is 
too  small  for  a  republic,  and  too  large  for  a  lunatic- 
asylum"  At  a  later  period  of  the  war,  it  is  said  he 
was  called  upon  to  give  up  the  property  of  his  North 
ern  clients  for  confiscation,  under  a  law  which  made 
it  treason  to  refuse.  He  positively  declined  to  com 
ply  with  the  demand,  arid  said,  with  much  spirit, 
"  Whenever  the  time  comes  for  me  to  choose  between 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  57 

death  and  dishonor,!  shall  have  no  difficulty  in  say 
ing  which  of  the  two  I  shall  elect"  It  is  much  to  be 
regretted  that  he  did  not  live  to  witness  the  final  tri 
umph  of  the  cause  which  was  so  dear  to  him. 

Four  of  Buchanan's  Cabinet — Floyd,  Cobb,  Tou- 
cey,  and  Thompson — were  now  open  and  avowed  Dis- 
unionists.  On  the  23d,  a  defalcation  of  eight  hundred 
and  thirty-three  thousand  dollars  was  discovered  in 
the  Department  of  the  Interior,  while  the  Secretary, 
Jacob  Thompson,  was  absent  from  his  post,  and  act 
ing  as  a  disunion  agent,  to  represent  the  State  of  Mis 
sissippi.  This  dallying  with  treason  in  the  Cabinet 
was  one  of  the  most  discouraging  signs  of  the  times. 

A  circumstance  now  occurred  which  to  my  mind 
was  proof  positive  that  Floyd  intended  to  betray  us 
and  the  Government  he  represented.  I  have  no 
doubt  it  hastened  our  departure  from  Fort  Moultrie. 
He  directed  Captain  Foster  to  have  the  guns  mount 
ed  in  Fort  Sumter  immediately.  It  was  plain  enough, 
from  demonstrations  already  made,  that  the  moment 
this  was  done  the  rebels  would  seize  the  fort,  and  turn 
its  powerful  armament  upon  us.  There  was  no  one 
there  to  resist  them.  It  seems  to  me  that  Floyd's 
speech  to  the  Secessionists  of  Richmond,  made  short 
ly  after  his  flight  from  Washington,  was  a  pretty 


58  REMINISCENCES  OF 

plain  acknowledgment  that  he  had  violated  his  oath 
of  office  as  Secretary  of  War,  in  order  that  he  might 
advance  the  interests  of  the  Confederacy.  He  said 
on  that  occasion,  "I  undertook  so  to  dispose  of  the 
power  in  my  hands  that  when  the  terrific  hour  came, 
you,  and  all  of  you,  and  each  of  you,  should  say,  '  This 
man  has  done  his  duty.'" 

Anderson  had  been  urged  by  several  of  us  to  re 
move  his  command  to  Fort  Sumter,  but  he  had  inva 
riably  replied  that  he  was  specially  assigned  to  Fort 
Moultrie,  and  had  no  right  to  vacate  it  without  or 
ders.  Our  affairs,  however,  were  becoming  critical, 
and  I  thought  it  my  duty  to  speak  to  him  again  on 
the  subject.  He  still  apparently  adhered  to  his  de 
cision.  Nevertheless,  he  had  fully  determined  to 
make  the  change,  and  was  now  merely  awaiting  a  fa 
vorable  opportunity.  To  deceive  the  enemy,  he  still 
kept  at  work  with  unabated  zeal  on  the  defenses  of 
Fort  Moultrie.  This  exactly  suited  the  purposes  of 
the  rebel  leaders,  for  they  knew  we  could  make  no 
effectual  defense  there,  and  our  preparations  would 
only  increase  the  prestige  of  their  victory.  We  were 
not  authorized  to  commence  hostilities  by  burning 
the  adjacent  houses,  and  yet,  if  they  were  not  leveled, 
clouds  of  riflemen  could  occupy  them,  and  prevent 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  59 

our  men  from  serving  the  guns.  Under  any  circum 
stances,  it  was  plain  that  we  must  soon  succumb  from 
over-exertion  and  loss  of  sleep  incident  to  repelling 
incessant  attacks  from  a  host  of  enemies.  The  fact 
that  through  the  provident  care  of  the  Secretary  of 
War  the  guns  of  Fort  Surnter  would  also  be  turned 
upon  us,  enfilading  two  sides  of  Fort  Moultrie,  and 
taking  another  side  in  reverse,  was  quite  decisive 
as  to  the  impossibility  of  our  making  a  lengthened 
defense. 

Up  to  this  time  we  had  hoped,  almost  against  hope, 
that,  even  if  the  Government  were  base  enough  to  de 
sert  us,  the  loyal  spirit  of  the  patriotic  North  would 
manifest  itself  in  our  favor,  inasmuch  as  our  little 
force  represented  the  supremacy  of  the  Constitution 
and  the  laws;  but  all  seemed  doubt, apathy, and  con 
fusion  there.  Yancey  was  delivering  lectures  in  the 
Northern  States,  as  a  representative  of  the  Disunion- 
ists,  not  only  without  molestation,  but  with  frequent 
and  vociferous  applause  from  the  Democratic  masses, 
who  could  not  be  made  to  believe  there  was  any  real 
danger. 

In  making  his  arrangements  to  cross  over,  Ander 
son  acted  with  consummate  prudence  and  ability.  He 
only  communicated  his  design  to  the  staff -officers, 


60  REMINISCENCES  OF 

whose  co-operation  was  indispensable,  and  he  waited 
until  the  moment  of  execution  before  he  informed 
the  others  of  his  intention.  No  one,  of  course,  would 
deliberately  betray  a  secret  of  this  kind,  but  it  some 
times  happens,  under  such  circumstances,  that  officers 
give  indications  of  what  is  about  to  take  place  by 
sending  for  their  washing,  packing  their  trunks,  and 
making  changes  in  their  messing  arrangements. 

Without  knowing  positively  that  any  movement 
had  been  projected,  two  circumstances  excited  my 
suspicions.  Once,  while  I  was  walking  with  the 
major  on  the  parapet,  he  turned  to  me  abruptly,  and 
asked  me  what  would  be  the  best  course  to  take  to 
render  the  gun-carriages  unserviceable.  I  told  him 
there  were  several  methods,  but  my  plan  would  be 
to  heap  pitch-pine  knots  around  them,  and  burn  them 
up.  The  question  was  too  suggestive  to  escape  my 
attention. 

On  the  day  previous  to  our  departure,  I  requested 
him  to  allow  me  to  purchase  a  large  quantity  of  wire, 
to  make  an  entanglement  in  front  of  the  part  of  the 
work  I  was  assigned  to  defend.  He  said,  with  a  quiz 
zical  look,  "  Certainly ;  you  shall  have  a  mile  of  wire, 
if  you  require  it."  When  I  proposed  to  send  for  it 
immediately,  he  smiled,  and  objected  in  such  a  pecul- 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MO UL TRIE.  6 1 

iar  way  that  I  at  once  saw  that  he  was  no  longer  in 
terested  in  our  efforts  to  strengthen  Fort  Moultrie. 

As  a  preliminary  to  the  proposed  movement,  he 
directed  the  post  quartermaster,  Lieutenant  Hall, 
to  charter  three  schooners  and  some  barges,  for  the 
ostensible  purpose  of  transporting  the  soldiers'  fami 
lies  to  old  Fort  Johnson,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
harbor,  where  there  were  some  dilapidated  public 
buildings  belonging  to  the  United  States.  The  dan 
ger  of  the  approaching  conflict  was  a  good  pretext 
for  the  removal  of  the  non-combatants.  All  this 
seemed  natural  enough  to  the  enemy,  and  no  one  of 
fered  any  opposition.  In  reality,  these  vessels  were 
loaded  with  supplies  for  all  the  troops,  with  reference 
to  a  prolonged  residence  in  Fort  Sumter.  Hall  was 
directed  to  land  every  thing  there  as  soon  as  a  signal- 
gun  was  fired.  In  the  mean  time  he  sailed  for  Fort 
Johnson,  and  lay  off  and  on,  waiting  for  the  signal. 

Anderson  had  broken  up  his  own  mess,  and  on  the 
last  evening  of  our  stay  (December  26th)  I  left  my 
room  to  ask  him  in  to  take  tea  with  us.  The  sun 
was  just  setting  as  I  ascended  the  steps  leading  to 
the  parapet  and  approached  him.  He  was  in  the 
midst  of  a  group  of  officers,  each  of  whom  seemed 
silent  and  distrait.  As  I  passed  our  assistant  -  sur- 


62  REMINISCENCES  OF 

geon,  I  remarked,  "  It  is  a  fine  evening,  Crawford." 
He  replied  in  a  hesitating  and  embarrassed  manner, 
showing  that  his  thoughts  were  elsewhere.  I  saw 
plainly  that  something  "unusual  had  occurred.  An 
derson  approached  me  as  I  advanced,  and  said  quiet 
ly,  "  I  have  determined  to  evacuate  this  post  immedi 
ately,  for  the  purpose  of  occupying  Fort  Sumter ;  I 
can  only  allow  you  twenty  minutes  to  form  your 
company  and  be  in  readiness  to  start."  I  was  sur 
prised  at  this  announcement,  and  realized  the  gravity 
of  the  situation  at  a  glance.  We  were  watched  by 
spies  and  vigilance-committees,  who  would  undoubt 
edly  open  fire  upon  us  as  soon  as  they  saw  the  ob 
ject  of  the  movement.  I  was  naturally  concerned, 
too,  for  the  safety  of  my  wife,  who  was  the  only  lady 
in  the  fort  at  that  time,  and  who  would  necessarily 
be  exposed  to  considerable  danger.  Fortunately,  I 
had  little  or  no  property  to  lose,  as,  in  anticipation 
of  a  crisis,  I  had  previously  sent  every  thing  of  value 
to  New  York.  Some  of  the  other  officers  did  not 
fare  so  well.  The  doctor,  not  expecting  so  sudden 
a  denouement,  had  necessarily  left  his  medical  stores 
unpacked.  Foster,  who  had  taken  a  house  outside 
for  his  family,  was  wholly  unprepared,  and  lost 
heavily. 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MO UL TRIE.  63 

I  made  good  use  of  the  twenty  minutes  allowed 
me.  I  first  went  to  the  barracks,  formed  my  com 
pany,  inspected  it,  and  saw  that  each  man  was  prop 
erly  armed  and  equipped.  This  left  me  ten  min 
utes  to  spare.  I  dashed  over  to  my  quarters;  told 
my  wife  to  get  ready  to  leave  immediately,  and  as 
the  fighting  would  probably  commence  in  a  few  min 
utes,  I  advised  her  to  take  refuge  with  some  fam 
ily  outside,  and  get  behind  the  sand-hills  as  soon  as 
possible,  to  avoid  the  shot.  She  hastily  threw  her 
wearing  -  apparel  into  her  trunks,  and  I  called  two 
men  to  put  her  baggage  outside  the  main  gate.  I 
then  accompanied  her  there,  and  we  took  a  sad  and 
hasty  leave  of  each  other,  for  neither  knew  when  or 
where  we  would  meet  again.  As  soon  as  this  was 
accomplished,  I  strapped  on  my  revolver,  tied  a 
blanket  across  my  shoulders,  and  reported  to  Major 
Anderson  that  my  men  were  in  readiness  to  move. 

In  the  mean  time  Lieutenant  Jefferson  C.  Davis, 
of  my  company,  who  had  been  detailed  to  command 
the  rear  guard,  aimed  the  guns,  which  were  already 
loaded,  to  bear  upon  the  passage  to  Fort  Sumter,  and 
Captain  Foster  and  Assistant-surgeon  Crawford,  with 
two  sergeants  and  three  privates,  remained  with  him, 
and  took  post  at  five  columbiads,  in  readiness  to  car- 


64  REMINISCENCES  OF 

ry  out  Major  Anderson's  design,  which  was  to  sink 
the  guard-boats,  should  they  attempt  to  fire  into  us 
or  run  us  down  while  en  route.  Certainly  the  major 
showed  no  lack  of  determination  or  energy  on  this 
occasion. 

If  we  were  successful  in  crossing,  Davis  was  to 
follow  with  the  remainder  of  the  men.  Foster  and 
Mr.  Moale  agreed  to  remain  behind  until  morning. 
They  also  volunteered  to  place  themselves  at  the 
guns,  and  cover  the  retreat  of  the  rear  guard  under 
Davis,  in  case  an  attempt  was  made  to  intercept  them. 

The  chaplain,  the  Rev.  Matthias  Harris,  being  a 
non-combatant,  and  having  his  family  in  the  village, 
was  not  notified.  Neither  was  Surgeon  Simons,  of 
the  army,  who  was  living  in  a  house  adjoining  the 
fort,  and  directly  in  line  with  our  guns.  When  he 
saw  the  movement  in  progress,  he  hastened  out  with 
his  family,  to  shelter  them  behind  the  sand-hills  as 
soon  as  possible. 

Every  thing  being  in  readiness,  we  passed  out  of 
the  main  gates,  and  silently  made  our  way  for  about 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  to  a  spot  where  the  boats  were 
hidden  behind  an  irregular  pile  of  rocks,  which  orig 
inally  formed  part  of  the  sea-wall.  There  was  not  a 
single  human  being  in  sight  as  we  marched  to  the 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  65 

rendezvous,  and  we  had  the  extraordinary  good  luck 
to  be  wholly  unobserved.  We  found  several  boats 
awaiting  us,  under  charge  of  two  engineer  officers, 
Lieutenants  Snyder  and  Meade.  They  and  their 
crews  were  crouched  down  behind  the  rocks,  to  es 
cape  observation.  In  a  low  tone  they  pointed  out  to 
me  the  boats  intended  for  my  company,  and  then 
pushed  out  rapidly  to  return  to  the  fort.  Noticing 
that  one  of  the  guard-boats  was  approaching,  they 
made  a  wide  circuit  to  avoid  it.  I  hoped  there  would 
be  time  for  my  party  to  cross  before  the  steamer  could 
overhaul  us ;  but  as  among  my  men  there  were  a  num 
ber  of  unskillful  oarsmen,  we  made  but  slow  progress, 
and  it  soon  became  evident  that  we  would  be  over 
taken  in  mid-channel.  It  was  after  sunset,  and  the 
twilight  had  deepened,  so  that  there  was  a  fair  chance 
for  us  to  escape.  While  the  steamer  was  yet  afar  off, 
I  took  off  my  cap,  and  threw  open  my  coat  to  con 
ceal  the  buttons.  I  also  made  the  men  take  off  their 
coats,  and  use  them  to  cover  up  their  muskets,  which 
were  lying  alongside  the  rowlocks.  I  hoped  in  this 
way  that  we  might  pass  for  a  party  of  laborers  re 
turning  to  the  fort.  The  paddle-wheels  stopped  with 
in  about  a  hundred  yards  of  us ;  but,  to  our  great  re 
lief,  after  a  slight  scrutiny,  the  steamer  kept  on  its 


66  REMINISCENCES  OF 

way.  In  the  mean  time  our  men  redoubled  their  ef 
forts,  and  we  soon  arrived  at  our  destination.  As  we 
ascended  the  steps  of  the  wharf,  crowds  of  workmen 
rushed  out  to  meet  us,  most  of  them  wearing  seces 
sion  emblems.  One  or  two  Union  men  among  them 
cheered  lustily,  but  the  majority  called  out  angrily, 
"  What  are  these  soldiers  doing  here  ?"  I  at  once 
formed  my  men,  charged  bayonets,  drove  the  tumult 
uous  mass  inside  the  fort,  and  seized  the  guard-room, 
which  commanded  the  main  entrance.  I  then  placed 
sentinels  to  prevent  the  crowd  from  encroaching  on 
us.  As  soon  as  we  had  disembarked,  the  boats  were 
sent  back  for  Seymour's  company.  The  major  landed 
soon  after  in  one  of  the  engineer  boats,  which  had 
coasted  along  to  avoid  the  steamer.  Seymour's  men 
arrived  in  safety,  followed  soon  after  by  the  remain 
ing  detachments,  which  had  been  left  behind  as  a 
rear-guard.  The  latter,  however,  ran  a  good  deal  of 
risk,  for  in  the  dark  it  passed  almost  under  the  bow 
of  the  guard-boat  Nina.  The  whole  movement  was 
successful  beyond  our  most  sanguine  expectations, 
and  we  were  highly  elated.  The  signal-gun  was  fired, 
and  Hall  at  once  sailed  over,  and  landed  the  soldiers' 
families  and  supplies.  As  soon  as  the  schooners  were 
unloaded,  the  disloyal  workmen  were  placed  on  board 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MO UL TRIE.  67 

and  shipped  off  to  the  main-land.     Only  a  few  of  the 
best  and  most  reliable  were  retained. 

Upon  leaving  me,  my  wife  took  refuge  temporari 
ly  in  the  residence  of  Dan  Sinclair,  the  sutler  of  the 
post,  a  most  excellent  man,  and  one  to  whom  we  were 
indebted  for  many  kindnesses.  Finding  that  the  peo 
ple  of  Moultrieville  were  not  yet  aware  of  the  change 
that  had  taken  place,  and  that  every  thing  was  tran 
quil,  she  ventured  back  to  the  fort,  and  finished  the 
removal  of  all  our  effects.  After  this,  in  company 
with  the  chaplain's  family,  she  walked  up  and  down 
the  beach  the  greater  part  of  the  night,  looking  anx 
iously  toward  Fort  Sumter  to  see  if  there  were  any 
indications  of  trouble  or  disturbance  there.  In  the 
morning  she  took  up  her  residence  at  the  chaplain's 
house.  As  for  the  other  ladies,  both  Mrs.  Simons  and 
Mrs.  Foster  fled  to  the  city  at  the  first  intimation  of 
danger,  and  Mrs.  Seymour  was  already  there. 


68  REMINISCENCES  OF 


CHAPTEK   Y. 

THE   FIRST    OVERT   ACT. 

The  New  Quarters.  —  Seizure  of  Castle  Pinckney  by  Charleston 
Troops.  —  Raising  the  Flag  at  Fort  Sumter.  — The  Sergeant's 
Daughter. — Major  Anderson's  Position. — The  Charleston  Troops 
take  Fort  Moultrie.— A  Military  Problem. — Condition  of  Fort 
Sumter.— Governor  Pickens's  Commission. — A  New  Outrage. 

ON  the  very  day  that  these  events  occurred,  the 
South  Carolina  commissioners,  R.  W.  Barnwell,  J.  H. 
Adams,  and  James  L.  Orr,  arrived  in  Washington  to 
treat  for  the  surrender  of  the  forts  and  other  public 
property.  It  proved  to  be  a  very  inauspicious  time 
for  such  a  negotiation. 

Our  garrison  were  up  betimes  on  the  morning  of 
the  27th,  to  inspect  their  new  quarters.  The  soldiers 
thronged  the  parapet  in  such  numbers  as  to  attract 
the  attention  of  the  troops  on  board  the  Nina.  That 
vessel  steamed  up  to  the  city  in  great  haste,  and  com 
municated  the  startling  intelligence  that  Fort  Sum 
ter,  in  sonie  inexplicable  manner,  had  been  fully  re- 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  69 

enforced.*  The  chagrin  of  the  authorities  was  in 
tense.  Messengers  were  at  once  dispatched  to  all 
parts  of  the  city,  to  ring  the  door-bells  and  arouse 
the  people. 

While  this  was  going  on  in  town,  Anderson,  who 
was  very  punctilious  in  regard  to  settling  all  debts 
due  by  the  United  States  to  citizens,  determined  to 
send  a  detachment,  under  Lieutenant  Davis,  back  to 
Fort  Moultrie  as  a  guard  to  Captain  Foster,  to  en 
able  him  to  pay  off  the  claims  of  the  workmen  he 
had  left  behind.  Doctor  Crawford  went  over  also, 
to  look  after  some  of  his  medical  property.  As  the 
guard-boats  had  been  withdrawn,  they  reached  the 
fort  without  difficulty,  and  found  it  deserted.  The 
people  of  the  little  village,  to  all  appearance,  were 
still  ignorant  of  our  change  of  station.  Soon  after 
their  arrival,  the  party,  in  accordance  with  instruc 
tions  from  Major  Anderson,  set  fire  to  the  gun-car 
riages  bearing  on  Fort  Sumter,  and  destroyed  all  the 
ammunition  and  military  material  that  could  not  be 
brought  away.  The  guns  had  been  spiked  the  night 
before,  and  the  flag-staff  was  cut  down,  either  at  that 
time  or  in  the  morning. 

*  Dawson's  Historical  Magazine. 


— • — 
70  REMINISCENCES  OF 

As  I  have  stated,  the  major  took  great  pains  to 
see  that  all  bills,  even  those  of  a  private  nature,  due 
in  Charleston  were  fully  paid  by  the  officers  and  men 
of  his  command ;  but  many  leading  merchants  in  the 
city  were  not  so  scrupulous.  They  gladly  took  ad 
vantage  of  the  war  to  repudiate  the  claims  of  their 
Northern  creditors.  I  was  also  informed  by  one  of 
the  pay-masters  that  a  number  of  officers  of  the  army 
who  resigned  to  join  the  rebellion  first  deliberately 
drew  their  month's  pay  in  advance,  and  then  left  the 
pay-master,  as  a  penalty  for  his  kindness,  to  make 
good  the  deficiency  from  his  private  funds,  in  order 
to  settle  his  accounts. 

Foster  and  Davis,  finding  Fort  Moultrie  still  de 
serted,  made  good  use  of  the  occasion  by  loading 
up  with  supplies  and  ammunition  one  of  the  schoon 
ers  which  had  been  previously  chartered  to  carry 
over  the  women  and  children,  and  which  were  now 
lying  empty  at  the  wharf. 

On  their  way  back  from  this  expedition  our  offi 
cers  saw  the  Charleston  troops  going  over  to  take 
possession  of  Castle  Pinckney.  The  calm  and  digni 
fied  South  Carolina  Legislature  had  not  authorized 
this  outrageous  proceeding.  Even  if  we  assume 
that  the  State  had  the  right  to  secede,  it  does  not 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MO UL TRIE.  71 

follow  that  the  public  property  within  her  limits 
properly  belonged  to  her.  It  appertained  to  the  na 
tion  at  large,  inasmuch  as  all  the  other  States  had 
contributed  toward  it,  and  therefore  it  was  a  proper 
subject  of  negotiation.  To  seize  it  at  once,  without 
a  declaration  of  war,  and  while  the  subject  was  still 
pending,  was  a  violation  of  all  right  and  precedent. 
The  hot  -  headed  governor,  however,  irritated  at  our 
change  of  station,  took  the  responsibility  of  com 
mencing  hostilities  against  the  Union,  without  the 
co-operation  of  the  Legislature,  and  this,  too,  at  a 
time  when  the  State  was  almost  destitute  of  war  ma 
terial  and  funds.  I  doubt  if  there  were  more  than 
half  a  dozen  heavy  guns  on  hand,  and  there  were 
certainly  not  a  dozen  rounds  of  cannon-powder  for 
each. 

Major  Anderson,  who  was  a  very  religious  man, 
thought  it  best  to  give  some  solemnity  to  our  occu 
pation  of  Fort  Sumter  by  formally  raising  the  flag, 
at  noon,  with  prayer  and  military  ceremonies.  The 
band  played  "  The  Star-spangled  Banner,"  the  troops 
presented  arms,  and  our  chaplain,  the  Eev.  Matthias 
Harris,  offered  up  a  fervent  supplication,  invoking 
the  blessing  of  Heaven  upon  our  small  command 
and  the  cause  we  represented.  Three  cheers  were 


72  REMINISCENCES  OF 

then  given  for  the  flag,  and  the  troops  were  dis 
missed. 

The  seizure  of  Castle  Pinckney,  on  the  afternoon 
of  the  27th,  was  the  first  overt  act  of  the  Secession 
ists  against  the  sovereignty  of  the  United  States.  As 
already  stated,  it  was  ordered  by  Governor  Pickens, 
on  his  own  responsibility,  without  the  concurrence 
of  the  Legislature.*  The  latter,  indeed,  positively 
declined  to  sanction  the  measure.  At  2  P.M.  the 
Washington  Light  Infantry  and  Meagher  Guards, 
both  companies  of  Colonel  J.  J.  Petigru's  rifle  reg 
iment,  embarked,  under  command  of  that  officer,  on 
board  the  Nina,  and  steamed  down  to  the  little  isl 
and  upon  which  the  Castle  is  situated.  When  they 
arrived  in  front  of  the  main  gates  they  found  them 
closed ;  whereupon  they  applied  scaling-ladders,  and 
with  eager,  flushed  faces  made  their  way  to  the  top 
of  the  wall.  The  excitement  was  needless,  for  there 
was  no  one  there  to  resist  them,  the  only  fighting- 
men  present  being  Lieutenant  R.  K.  Meade,  of  the 
engineers,  and  Ordnance  -  sergeant  Skillen,  who  re 
sided  there  with  his  family,  and  who  was  in  charge 


*  See  Dawson's  story  of  Fort  Sumter,  in  the  Historical  Magazine 
for  January,  1872. 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MO UL TRIE.  73 

of  the  work.  Meade,  himself  a  Virginian,  had  a 
sharp  colloquy  with  Petigrn,  and  expressed  himself 
in  severe  terms  in  relation  to  this  treasonable  assault. 

After  taking  possession,  one  of  the  rebel  officers 
found  the  sergeant's  daughter,  pretty  Kate  Skillen, 
aged  fifteen,  weeping  bitterly  at  the  foot  of  the  ram 
parts.  He  assured  her  no  harm  should  befall  her. 
She  replied, "  I  am  not  crying  because  I  am  afraid  !" 
"  What  is  the  matter,  then  ?"  said  he.  "  I  am  crying 
because  you  have  put  that  miserable  rag  up  there," 
she  said,  pointing  to  the  Palmetto  flag  which  had 
just  been  raised  to  the  top  of  the  staff. 

Foster's  few  reliable  workmen  proved  to  be  a  bad 
investment.  It  is  said  that  most  of  them,  when  they 
found  the  enemy  were  actually  coming,  hid  in  clos 
ets,  sheds,  and  under  the  beds,  and  some  cried  bit 
terly. 

While  this  was  going  on,  Major  Anderson  and  my 
self  stood  side  by  side  on  the  parapet,  watching  the 
scene  through  our  spy-glasses.  From  his  expressions 
of  indignation,  I  was  in  hopes  he  would  take  prompt 
measures  to  close  the  harbor  against  any  further  en 
croachments  of  the  State  troops,  made  with  a  view  to 
occupy  Fort  Moultrie  or  Fort  Johnson.  It  would 
have  required  but  a  short  time  to  mount  a  few 

4 


74  REMINISCENCES  OF 

pieces;  and  when  these  were  once  in  position,  it 
would  have  been,  easy  to  cut  off  all  direct  communi 
cation  by  water  between  the  different  posts.  In 
short,  he  could  take  entire  possession  of  the  harbor. 
He  did  threaten  to  put  out  the  lights  in  the  light 
houses  with  his  artillery,  and  close  the  port  in  that 
way ;  but  his  anger  soon  passed  away,  and  he  took 
no  aggressive  measures  of  any  kind. 

In  my  opinion,  if  he  could  have  been  satisfied  that 
no  other  States  would  join  South  Carolina  in  her  mad 
attempt,  he  would  have  dpne  every  thing  that  lay  in 
his  power  to  punish  her ;  for  he  looked  upon  her  as 
a  spoiled  child  that  needed  correction.  Having  mar 
ried  a  lady  from  Georgia,  he  had  almost  identified 
himself  with  that  State.  He  did  own  a  plantation 
and  negroes  there,  but  had  recently  sold  them.  The 
purchaser  afterward  refused  to  pay  for  them,  on  the 
ground  that  Anderson  had  destroyed  their  value  by 
virtually  warring  against  slavery.  At  this  period  the 
feeling  in  many  parts  of  the  South  was  strong  against 
South  Carolina.  This  was  particularly  the  case  among 
the  young  men  of  Georgia,  who  looked  upon  the  lead 
ers  of  secession  in  the  Palmetto  State  as  very  presum 
ing,  because  these  leaders  thought  and  acted  as  if  they 
were  the  only  representatives  of  Southern  sentiment. 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  75 

and  as  if  the  leadership  belonged  to  them  as  a  matter 
of  right.  They  seemed  to  consider  that  the  mere  fact 
of  being  born  in  South  Carolina  (or  Carolina,  as  they 
called  it,  contemptuously  ignoring  North  Carolina)  con 
stituted  in  itself  a  patent  of  nobility ;  and  their  im 
plied  scorn  of  other  States  caused  the  antagonistic 
feeling  which  I  have  mentioned.  This  was  shared 
by  Anderson,  until  he  found  that  Georgia  also  would, 
certainly  secede.  He  then  seemed  to  lose  all  inter 
est  in  the  Union,  and  merely  desired  to  become  a 
spectator  of  the  contest,  and  not  an  actor.  His  ef 
forts  thenceforth  were  simply  confined  to  making  his 
fort  secure  against  an  assault.  Hardly  any  amount 
of  provocation  could  induce  him  to  become  the  as 
sailant. 

On  the  day  we  left  Fort  Motiltrie,  Captain  Hum 
phreys,  of  the  engineers,  arrived  there  from  Washing 
ton,  with  orders  for  Captain  Foster  from  the  Secre 
tary  of  War.  I  have  never  learned  the  purport  of 
these  dispatches. 

On  the  27th,  the  day  after  we  evacuated  the  place, 
Lieutenant-colonel  Wilinot  G.  De  Saussure  arrived  at 
Fort  Moultrie,  at  9  P.M.,  with  his  battalion  of  Charles 
ton  artillery  and  thirty  riflemen  ;  in  all,  one  hundred 
and  seventy  men.  (The  companies  composing  the 


76  REMINISCENCES  OF 

battalion  were  the  Marion  Artillery,  the  La  Fayette 
Artillery,  the  German  Artillery,  and  the  Washington 
Artillery.)  I  was  informed  by  a  spectator  that  the 
new-corners  were  exceedingly  cautious  in  making  an 
entrance.  They  were  looking  out  for  mines  in  all 
directions,  and  had  brought  ladders  with  them,  on 
the  supposition  that  there  might  be  torpedoes  in  front 
of  the  main  gates.  It  was  a  clear,  beautiful  evening, 
and  the  moon  was  at  the  full.  They  were  greatly 
enraged  to  find  the  flag-staff  cut  down,  for  they  had 
hoped  to  run  up  their  own  flag  on  the  very  spot  where 
ours  had  formerly  waved.  They  found,  too,  the  gun- 
carriages  burned,  and  the  guns,  which  had  gradually 
settled  down  as  the  carriages  gave  way,  resting  with 
their  breeches  on  the  platforms,  and  the  muzzles  lean 
ing  against  the  walls.  Out  of  the  mouth  of  each  hung 
a  small  white  string.  As  many  of  the  guns  had  been 
kept  loaded  for  a  considerable  length  of  time,  these 
strings  had  been  tied  by  me  to  the  cartridges,  in  or 
der  that  the  latter  might  be  pulled  out  and  sunned 
occasionally,  as  a  precaution  against  dampness.  De 
Saussure's  men  imagined  that  these  strings  were  ar 
ranged  with  a  view  to  blow  up  the  guns  the  moment 
any  one  attempted  to  interfere  with  them,  and  each 
soldier,  as  lie  passed,  avoided  the  supposed  danger. 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  77 

The  South  Carolina  officers,  at  this  period,  spent 
much  of  their  time  in  discussing  military  problems. 
One  of  these,  which  was  afterward  referred  to  us 
for  solution,  occasioned  us  much  amusement.  All 
cannon-balls  used  in  the  army,  and  exposed  to  the 
weather,  are  coated  with  a  varnish  of  coal-tar,  to 
protect  them  from  rust.  Many  of  those  we  left 
behind  were  in  piles  near  the  guns,  and  when  the 
carriages  were  burned,  the  tar  melted,  ran  down  in 
streams,  and  coagulated  in  lumps.  It  was  immedi 
ately  reported  that  before  leaving  we  had  taken 
great  pains  to  tar  the  balls,  to  render  them  useless. 
The  problem  which  puzzled  the  military  savans  of 
Charleston '  was,  to  determine  in  what  way  cannon- 
balls  were  ruined  by  tar.  Some  months  afterward, 
when  we  evacuated  Fort  Sumter,  one  of  the  officers 
who  had  been  much  interested  in  this  subject  took 
Seymour  aside,  and  asked  him  confidentially  if  he 
had  any  objection  to  tell  him  why  we  tarred  our 
balls,  assuring  him  most  earnestly  that  they  could 
scrape  it  all  off. 

Upon  occupying  Fort  Sumter,  we  found  it  was  in 
a  very  unfinished  condition,  and  that  it  would  re 
quire  an  immense  amount  of  labor  to  render  it  safe 
against  an  assault.  It  had  no  flanking  defenses 


78  REMINISCENCES  OF 

whatever.  Three  or  four  hundred  men,  with  short 
ladders,  could  easily  have  taken  it ;  for  no  guns  were 
mounted,  except  a  few  on  the  gorge,  and  all  the  em 
brasures  were  open,  there  being  no  efficient  means  of 
closing  them.  On  the  gorge  side,  where  the  wharf 
was  located,  there  were  two  sally-ports  and  numer 
ous  windows  to  be  guarded.  In  the  second  story 
the  embrasures  were  nothing  but  large  unfinished 
openings,  slightly  boarded  up.  Three  or  four  blows 
of  an  axe  would  have  made  a  broad  entrance  for  an 
escalading  party.  The  form  of  the  fort  was  a  pen 
tagon.  Retaining  a  small  force  as  a  reserve  in  the 
centre  of  the  work,  we  could  only  furnish  eight  men 
to  defend  each  side  and  guard  all  the  numerous 
openings. 

Fortunately  no  assault  was  made.  It  was  thought 
the  fort  was  almost  impregnable,  and  that  there 
would  be  no  difficulty  in  inducing  Buchanan  to  or 
der  us  back  to  Fort  Moultrie.  This  occasioned  a 
delay,  and  gave  us  time  to  strengthen  our  position. 
We  were  hard  at  work,  mounting  guns,  preparing 
shells  to  be  used  as  hand-grenades,  stopping  up  sur 
plus  embrasures,  and  removing  the  de'bris  which  en 
cumbered  the  passages  from  one  part  of  the  work 
to  another.  Quarters  were  selected  for  the  officers, 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  79 

soldiers,  and  camp-women  ;  and  the  household  f  urni- 
tnre  which  belonged  to  each,  and  which  had  been 
thrown  pell-mell  on  the  parade-ground,  was  all  sep 
arated  and  deposited  in  the  different  rooms.  I  chose 
an  apartment  near  the  mess  hall,  and  made  it  so  com 
fortable  that  Anderson  and  Seymour  came  there  tem 
porarily  to  live  with  me.  Our  mess  was  also  organ 
ized,  and  placed  in  charge  of  Mr.  Edward  Moale. 

In  the  afternoon,  Governor  Pickens  sent  Colonel 
J.  J.  Petigru  and  Major  Elison  Capers,  both  field- 
officers  of  the  rifle  regiment,  in  full  uniform,  to  in 
terview  Major  Anderson.  Their  looks  were  full  of 
wrath,  and  they  bowed  stiffly  and  indignantly  in  an 
swer  to  our  smiling  salutations.  I  was  present  at 
the  conversation  that  ensued,  but  did  not  take  notes. 
They  told  the  major  that  perhaps  he  was  not  aware- 
that  an  agreement  had  been  entered  into  with  Presi 
dent  Buchanan  not  to  re-enforce  the  forts  in  the  har 
bor.  They  desired  to  call  his  attention  to  the  fact 
that  his  recent  movement  was  in  direct  violation  of 
the  contract  referred  to.  They  were, 'therefore,  di 
rected  by  the  governor  to  request  him,  perempto 
rily  but  courteously,  to  immediately  return  to  Fort 
Moultrie.  Anderson  replied,  in  substance,  that  he 
knew  nothing  of  any  such  agreement;  that  as  com- 


8o  REMINISCENCES  OF 

mander  of  the  defenses  of  Charleston  he  had  an  in 
herent  right  to  occupy  any  fort  in  the  harbor.  He 
stated  that  he,  too,  was  a  Southern  man ;  that  he  be 
lieved  the  whole  difficulty  was  brought  on  by  the 
faithlessness  of  the  North  —  here  the  aids  made  a 
stiff  bow — but  as  regards  returning  to  Fort  Moultrie, 
he 'could  not,  and  he  would  not,  do  it.  The  com 
missioners  were  then  courteously  dismissed. 

I  have  always  felt  that  this  was  a  most  insolent 
demand.  If  the  governor  considered  himself  ag 
grieved  by  our  change  of  station,  his  redress  lay  in 
an  appeal  to  Washington.  This  attempt  to  assume 
command  of  us,  and  order  us  out  of  a  United  States 
fort,  was  an  assumption  of  authority  that  merited  a 
more  spirited  reply. 

Before  his  messengers  left,  I  took  occasion,  in  con 
versation  with  a  person  who  came  over  in  the  boat 
with  them,  to  refer  to  the  great  strength  of  the  work, 
and  I  also  spoke  of  the  shells  which  we  had  prepared 
to  throw  down  on  the  heads  of  an  attacking  party.  I 
knew  the  conversation  would  be  repeated,  and  hoped 
it  might  have  some  effect  in  deterring  an  immediate 
assault. 

A  new  outrage  now  took  place  in  full  view  of  our 
garrison.  The  United  States  revenue  cutter,  which 


FORTS  SUMTRR  AND  MOULTRIE.  8 1 

lay  anchored  in  the  stream,  was  turned  over  by  its 
commander,  Captain  !N.  L.  Coste,  to  the  authorities  of 
South  Carolina.  The  previous  seizures,  made  with 
out  a  declaration  of  war,  had  been  justified  on  the 
ground  that  the  forts  and  public  buildings  were  fixt 
ures  within  the  limits  of  the  State.  To  retain  this 
vessel  was  simply  an  act  of  piracy. 

When  it  became  apparent  that  South  Carolina  did 
not  control  the  Administration  in  Washington,  and 
that  Anderson  would  not  be  ordered  back,  it  is  pos 
sible  a  boat  attack  might  have  been  organized  against 
us ;  but  a  storm  came  up  about  this  time,  and  the 
wind  was  so  violent  that  no  small  boat  could  venture 
out  with  safety.  This  occasioned  still  further  delay, 
which  enabled  us  to  do  much  toward  placing  the 
fort  in  a  better  condition  for  defense. 

4* 


82  REMINISCENCES  OF 


CHAPTEE  VI. 

EFFECT   OF   ANDERSON^    MOVEMENT. 

President  Buchanan  Aroused. — Excitement  in  Charleston.— The  Sit 
uation  at  the  Beginning  of  1861. — Governor  Pickens's  War  Meas 
ures. — "My  heart  was  never  in  this  War." 

ANDERSON'S  movement  and  the  sudden  uprising  of 
the  North  put  an  end  to  the  mission  of  the  South 
Carolina  commissioners.  Governor  Pickens  seized 
Castle  Pinckney  and  Fort  Moultrie  on  the  27th,  and 
the  custom-house  and  other  United  States  proper 
ty  on  the  28th.  Before  leaving,  the  commissioners 
made  a  formal  call  upon  the  President.  The  latter 
expected  some  apology  or  explanation  in  relation  to 
the  high-handed  outrages  which  had  been  perpe 
trated.  Had  they  temporized,  or  even  used  concil 
iatory  language  on  this  occasion,  it  is  possible  the 
South  might  still  have  preserved  the  ascendency  it 
had  always  held  in  the  councils  of  the  President. 
Fortunately,  they  assumed  an  air  of  injured  inno 
cence,  and  required  Mr.  Buchanan  to  humble  him 
self  before  them  for  the  past,  and  give  guarantees 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  83 

for  the  future  by  immediately  ordering  Fort  Sum- 
ter  to  be  vacated ;  that  is,  by  surrendering  to  the 
State  all  public  property  in  Charleston  harbor  which 
had"  not  been  already  stolen.  For  once,  the  Presi 
dent,  whose  personal  integrity  was  called  in  ques 
tion,  was  thoroughly  roused,  and  made  the  only  an 
swer  which  suited  the  circumstances.  He  ordered  a 
man-of-war  to  proceed  to  Charleston  immediately, 
drive  the  State  garrisons  out  of  the  forts,  and  take 
possession  of  the  city.  He  might,  indeed,  have  ar 
rested  the  commissioners  for  high  treason ;  but  his 
Unionism  was  of  a  very  mild  type,  and  far  from  be 
ing  aggressive. 

One  of  the  commissioners,  Mr.  Adams,  hastened 
to  telegraph  to  the  authorities  of  Charleston,  on  the 
28th,  to  prepare  for  war  immediately,  as  there  were 
no  longer  any  hopes  of  a  peaceful  settlement. 

This  dispatch  caused  a  great  uproar  and  excite 
ment  in  Charleston.  The  banks  at  once  suspended 
specie  payments.  All  was  terror  and  confusion,  for 
it  was  expected  that  a  fleet  would  bombard  the  city 
and  land  troops,  and  there  were  no  adequate  means 
of  opposing  its  entrance.  Castle  Pinckney,  indeed, 
might  offer  some  resistance,  but  as  it  had  been  a  de 
pendency  of  Fort  Sumter,  and  unoccupied,  little,  if 


84  REMINISCENCES  OF 

any,  ammunition  was  kept  there.  The  governor 
rushed  frantically  down  to  Fort  Moultrie  to  hasten 
the  preparations  for  defense.  Non-combatants  were 
urged  to  leave  Moultrieville  at  once.  The  laborers 
formerly  employed  by  Captain  Foster  were  again 
hired  by  the  State  engineers,  and  were  kept  at  work 
thereafter,  night  and  day,  in  piling  up  sand-bags  to 
shield  the  troops  from  the  fire  of  Fort  Sumter.  The 
batteries  at  the  north-eastern  extremity  of  Sullivan's 
Island,  which  were  made  up  of  a  few  old  field-pieces 
brought  from  the  Citadel  Academy  in  the  city,  were 
hastily  put  in  order  to  protect  the  entrance  by  that 
channel.  As  for  Fort  Moultrie,  before  we  left  we 
had  rendered  its  armament  useless.  At  this  time 
the  guns  were  still  spiked,  and  the  workshops  in  the 
city  were  going  night  and  day  to  replace  the  gun- 
carriages  that  had  been  burned.  In  place  of  these, 
some  of  the  guns  and  carriages  were  sent  over  from 
Castle  Pinckriey. 

No  attempt  had  been  made  to  fortify  the  Morris 
Island  channel,  and  vessels  could  enter  there  with 
out  the  slightest  difficulty.  It  took  several  days  to 
transfer  the  guns  and  make  the  preparations  I  have 
mentioned.  It  follows,  therefore,  that  if  the  Admin 
istration  had  acted  promptly,  Charleston  could  have 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  85 

been  taken  at  once,  and  full  reparation  exacted  for 
all  the  wrongs  perpetrated  against  the  United  States. 
Why  this  was  not  done  will  be  explained  hereafter. 

Foster  had  not  been  able  to  settle  with  all  his 
workmen,  and  the  rebels  frequently  sent  them  over 
under  a  flag  of  truce  to  demand  their  back  pay  and 
act  as  spies.  I  was  enabled  through  this  channel  to 
keep  up  a  correspondence  with  my  wife,  who  was 
still  in  Moultrieville.  I  learned  all  that  was  going 
on  there,  and  took  occasion  to  inform  her  that  we 
had  no  means  of  lighting  up  our  quarters — a  serious 
inconvenience  in  those  long  winter  nights.  She  pur 
chased  a  gross  of  matches  and  a  box  of  candles,  and 
had  them  put  on  board  one  of  the  boats  referred  to, 
iu  full  view  of  a  rebel  sentinel,  who  was  supervising 
the  embarkation.  She  then  requested  one  of  the 
crew,  an  old  soldier  named  M'Narhamy,  who  for 
merly  belonged  to  my  company,  to  deliver  them  to 
me,  which  he  agreed  to  do.  The  sentinel  stared,  but 
the  self-possessed  manner  in  which  she  acted  made 
him  think  it  must  be  all  right,  and  he  did  not  inter 
fere.  The  box  arrived  safely,  and  added  very  much 
to  our  comfort  and  convenience. 

When  the  governor  found  that  the  spell  of  South 
ern  supremacy  was  broken,  and  that  there  was  no 


86  REMINISCENCES  OF 

probability  that  we  would  be  ordered  back  to  Fort 
Moultrie,  he  was  in  a  very  angry  mood.  He  stopped 
our  mail  for  a  time,  and  cut  off  all  communication 
with  us.  We  were,  of  course,  prevented  from  pur 
chasing  fresh  provisions,  and  reduced  to  pork,  beans, 
and  hard -tack.  Anderson  was  quite  indignant  at 
this  proceeding,  and  again  talked  of  shutting  up  the 
port  by  putting  out  the  lights  in  the  light-houses. 

While  the  leaders  in  the  city  complained  bitterly 
to  the  public  of  Anderson  for  his  perfidy  in  occupy 
ing  Fort  Sumter,  they  did  not  hesitate,  among  them 
selves,  to  express  their  admiration  for  his  acuteness 
in  evading  the  dangers  and  difficulties  which  sur 
rounded  him,  and  for  the  skillful  mariner  in  which 
he  had  accomplished  it. 

Our  life  now  proved  to  be  one  of  great  hardship. 
Captain  Seymour  and  myself  were  the  only  officers 
for  duty  as  officers  of  the  day,  Lieutenant  Davis  and 
Lieutenant  Hall  serving  under  us  as  officers  of  the 
guard.  The  situation  required  constant  vigilance. 
Lieutenant  Talbot,  being  a  great  sufferer  from  lung- 
disease,  was  unable  to  do  this  kind  of  duty.  We 
were,  therefore,  very  busy  during  the  day  superin 
tending  measures  for  defense,  and  were  obliged  to 
be  on  the  alert,  and  wide  awake  every  other  night, 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MO UL TRIE.  87 

so  that  we  were  completely  exhausted  in  a  short 
time.  Assistant  -  surgeon  Crawford,  having  no  sick 
in  hospital,  generously  offered  to  do  duty  as  officer 
of  the  day,  and  his  offer  was  gladly  accepted.  The 
two  young  engineer  officers,  Snyder  and  Meade,  were 
also  willing  to  serve  as  line  officers;  but  Captain  Fos 
ter  thought  it  was  contrary  to  precedent,  and  they 
were  not  detailed. 

As  the  Engineer  department  is  regarded  in  this 
country  as  the  highest  branch  of  the  military  serv 
ice,  and  as  its  officers  are  really  very  able  men,  I  can 
not  conceive  what  induced  them  to  build  Fort  Sum- 
ter  without  any  flanking  defenses  whatever,  and  with 
out  fire-proof  quarters  for  the  officers.  The  first  de 
fect  I  endeavored  to  remedy  by  projecting  iron-plated, 
bullet-proof  galleries  over  the  angles  of  the  parapet. 
I  left  small  trap-doors  in  the  bottom  of  these,  for  the 
purpose  of  throwing  down  shells  on  the  heads  of  any 
party  below  attempting  to  force  an  entrance  through 
the  embrasures.  The  other  defect — the  presence  of 
so  much  combustible  matter  in  the  quarters — it  was 
impossible  to  remedy,  and  it  ultimately  cost  the  loss 
of  the  fort.  The  excuse  that  it  never  could  have 
been  anticipated  that  the  fort  would  be  attacked  from 
the  land  side  is  hardly  a  valid  one,  for  a  foreign  fleet 


88  REMINISCENCES  OF 

might  possibly  have  effected  a  landing  on  Morris  Isl 
and  ;  or  they  might  have  set  fire  to  the  quarters 
from  the  decks  of  the  vessels  by  means  of  incen 
diary  shells. 

As  may  well  be  supposed,  there  was  a  great  deal 
of  excitement  in  New  York  in  relation  to  us;  and, 
in  view  of  the  small  number  of  men  available  for. 
service  in  the  regular  army,  three  of  the  principal 
citizens,  James  A.  Hamilton,  Moses  H.  Grinnell,  and 
I.  E.  Williams,  offered,  at  their  own  expense,  about 
the  last  of  December,  to  send  us  four  hundred  pick 
ed  artillerists  from  the  citizen  soldiery  of  the  city ; 
but  General  Scott  refused  to  entertain  the  proposi 
tion. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1861,  we  took  an  account 
of  our  resources,  and  found  we  had  but  one  month's 
supply  of  fuel  for  cooking  purposes,  but  few  candles, 
and  no  soap.  There  was,  however,  a  small  light-house 
inside  the  fort,  and  we  found  a  little  oil  stored  there. 

It  seemed  to  me  that  the  time  had  now  come  when 
forbearance  ceased  to  be  a  virtue.  Even  our  oppo 
nents  were  willing  to  acknowledge  that  we  repre 
sented  a  legitimate  government,  and  that  both  duty 
and  propriety  called  upon  us  to  resist  the  numerous 
war  measures  which  the  governor  of  South  Carolina 


FORTS  SUMTER   AND  MOULTRIE.  89 

had  inaugurated.  He  had  taken  forcible  possession 
of  two  United  States  forts,  of  the  money  in  the  cus 
tom-house,  of  the  custom-house  itself,  and  of  other 
national  property  in  Charleston.  He  had  closed  the 
harbor,  by  destroying  the  costly  prismatic  lenses  in 
the  light -houses,  and  by  withdrawing  the  warning 
light-ship  from  Rattlesnake  Shoal.  He  had  cut  off 
all  communication  between  us  and  the  city,  and  had 
seized  the  United  States  mails.  His  steamboats, 
laden  with  war  material  to  be  used  in  erecting  bat 
teries  against  us,  were  allowed  to  pass  and  repass 
Fort  Sumter,  not  only  without  opposition,  but  with 
out  even  a  protest.  Worse  than  all,  he  had  com 
menced  imprisoning  the  crews  of  merchant  vessels 
for  contumacy  in  refusing  to  acknowledge  his  au 
thority  as  the  head  of  an  independent  nation.  In 
vain  did  these  vessels  reverse  their  flags  in  a  mute 
appeal  to  us  to  use  our  guns  in  their  defense.  An 
derson  would  do  nothing — not  even  send  a  commu 
nication  to  the  governor  on  the  subject,  although  the 
latter,  without  authority  from  the  State  Legislature, 
was  thus  wielding  all  the  powers  of  a  military  dicta 
tor.  The  enemy  were  greatly  emboldened  at  our 
weakness  or  timidity,  and  with  good  reason,  for  they 
saw  us  stand  by  with  folded  arms,  and  allow  steam- 


90  REMINISCENCES  OF 

boat  loads  of  ammunition  and  war  material  to  pass 
us,  on  their  way  to  Morris  Island,  to  be  used  in  the 
erection  and  arming  of  batteries  to  prevent  any 
United  States  vessels  from  coming  to  our  assistance. 

Major  Anderson  was  neither  timid  nor  irresolute, 
and  he  was  fully  aware  of  his  duties  and  responsi 
bilities.  Unfortunately,  he  desired  not  only  to  save 
the  Union,  but  to  save  slavery  with  it.  Without  this, 
he  considered  the  contest  as  hopeless.  In  this  spirit 
he  submitted  to  every  thing,  and  delayed  all  action  in 
the  expectation  that  Congress  would  make  some  new 
and  more  binding  compromise  which  would  restore 
peace  to  the  country.  He  could  not  read  the  signs  of 
the  times,  and  see  that  the  conscience  of  the  nation 
and  the  progress  of  civilization  had  already  doomed 
slavery  to  destruction.  If  he  had  taken  this  view 
of  the  situation,  he  would  have  made  more  strenu 
ous  efforts  to  hold  on  to  the  harbor  of  Charleston, 
and  the  one  hundred  and  twenty  millions  of  dollars, 
more  or  less,  spent  to  regain  it  might  still  have 
formed  part  of  the  national  treasury. 

The  applause  which,  both  in  the  North  and  South, 
greeted  his  masterly  movement  of  the  26th  of  De 
cember,  made  him  feel  more  like  an  arbiter  between 
two  contending  nations  than  a  simple  soldier  en- 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  91 

gaged  in  carrying  out  the  instructions  of  his  superi 
ors.  To  show  the  spirit  in  which  he  acted,  it  is  only 
necessary  to  quote  from  his  letter  to  Governor  Pick- 
ens  while  the  rebellion  was  still  pending.  He  wrote : 
"  My  dear  Governor,  my  heart  was  never  in  this  war." 
This  sentiment  was  repeated  by  him  in  letters  to 
other  parties,  and,  strange  to  say,  was  actually  sent  in 
the  form  of  an  official  communication  to  the  adju 
tant-general  of  the  army. 

The  difficulties  he  experienced  in  his  unavailing 
attempts  to  defer  hostilities  seriously  impaired  his 
health  and  spirits,  and  ultimately  brought  on  the  dis 
ease  which  kept  him  almost  entirely  out  of  service 
during  the  remainder  of  the  war,  and  in  all  probabil 
ity  hastened  his  death. 

However  much  I  differed  from  him  in  regard  to 
his  pro-slavery  sentiments,  I  take  pleasure  in  stating 
that,  aside  from  his  political  career,  the  graces  of  his 
private  life  were  such  as  to  win  the  esteem  and  re 
gard  of  all  who  knew  him. 


92  REMINISCENCES  OF 


CHAPTER   YIT. 


Promise  of  Succor. — Fatal  Delay. — A  Contumacious  Chaplain. — 
Visit  from  our  Ladies. — Governor  Pickens's  Cabinet. — Appearance 
of  the  Star  of  the  West. — The  Vessel  fired  upon  from  Morris 
Island  and  Fort  Moultrie. — Major  Anderson's  Protest. — GoArernor 
Pickens's  Reply. 

ABOUT  the  close  of  the  year  a  great  fear  fell  upon 
Charleston,  for  they  had  received  positive  informa 
tion  that  a  United  States  naval  vessel  was  on  its  way 
to  the  city.  The  President  had  indeed  acted  prompt 
ly.  On  the  31st  of  December,  he  ordered  the  Brook 
lyn^  man-of-war,  under  Captain  Earragut,  to  take  three 
hundred  veteran  soldiers  on  board  from  Fortress  Mon 
roe,  as  a  re-enforcement  for  us,  and  then  proceed  to 
Charleston  harbor  to  drive  out  the  State  troops,  and 
resume  possession  of  the  public  property.  General 
Scott,  the  commander -in -chief,  assented  to  the  ar 
rangement  at  the  time ;  but,  unfortunately,  he  was 
afterward  seized  with  doubts  as  to  whether  the  with 
drawing  of  so  many  men  from  Fortress  Monroe  might 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  93 

not  endanger  its  safety ;  and  that  being  a  far  more 
important  work  than  Fort  Sumter,  he  did  not  like  to 
run  any  risk  in  relation  to  it.  He  therefore  induced 
Mr.  Buchanan  to  change  the  order,  and  substitute  for 
the  Brooklyn  a  merchant  vessel, loaded  with  supplies 
and  two  hundred  and  fifty  recruits.*  This  was  a  fa 
tal  error,  for  the  steamer  chosen,  the  Star  of  the  West, 
was,  from  its  nature,  wholly  unfitted  to  contend  with 
shore  batteries.  The  general,  who  at  this  time  was 
quite  pacifically  inclined,  may  have  thought  that  if 
this  vessel  could  slip  in,  and  land  its  cargo  unawares, 
he  would  have  secured  the  harbor  of  Charleston  with 
out  increasing  the  ^. ar  fever  in  the  South.  Be  this 
as  it  may,  there  is  r  -j  doubt  that  his  policy  was  too 
peaceful  in  the  early  days  of  the  war.  When  a  com 
pany  of  the  most  distinguished  men  in  Washington 
was  formed,  under  Cassias  M.  Clay,  to  prevent  the 
capture  of  the  Preside::*,  and  the  destruction  of  the 
public  buildings,  he  £ave  positive  orders  to  Senator 
Nye,  who  was  on  d-.^y  at  the  Navy -yard,  not  to  fire 
upon  the  enemy  in  case  they  came  there  to  take  pos 
session. 

*  The' facts  in  this  statement  are  taken  from  Dawson's  Historical 
Kfaqazinefor  January.  1872. 


94  REMINISCENCES  OF 

The  original  plan  to  succor  us  was  excellent :  the 
substitute  was  an  utter  failure.  A  change  of  this 
kind  always  occasions  more  or  less  delay,  and  in  the 
present  instance  nearly  a  week  elapsed  before  the 
vessel  left  New  York.  The  enemy  took  immediate 
advantage  of  the  time  thus  gained,  to  put  up  a  work 
to  control  the  main  channel  which  passes  by  Morris 
Island,  and  which  had  previously  been  wholly  unob 
structed.  They  received  the  telegraphic  notice  on 
the  31st  of  December  that  a  man-of-war  would  be 
sent,  and  the  very  next  day  the  cadets  of  the  Citadel 
Academy  were  hard  at  work  at  the  new  battery.  It 
was  located  so  that  it  would  command  the  channel, 
and  at  the  same  time  be  beyond  the  reach  of  our 
guns.  The  day  was  cold  and  rainy,  and  the  wind 
blew  fiercely.  We  wondered  how  long  those  boys 
would  keep  up  their  enthusiasm  amidst  the  hardships 
and  trials  of  the  real  war  which  was  now  fast  ap 
proaching. 

Our  chaplain,  who  had  been  present  at  the  raising 
of  the  flag,  and  had  then  returned  to  his  family  in 
Moultrieville,  desired  to  make  us  another  visit.  For 
this  purpose,  he  called  upon  the  rebel  commander  at 
Fort  Moultrie,  and  asked  if  there  would  be  any  ob 
stacle  thrown  in  the  way  of  his  crossing  over  to  see 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MO UL TRIE.  95 

us.  The  answer  was,  "  Oh  no,  parson  ;  I  think  I  will 
give  you  a  pass."  The  chaplain  replied,  "  I  did  not 
ask  you  for  a  pass,  sir !  I  am  a  United  States  offi 
cer,  and  I  shall  visit  a  United  States  fort  whenever 
I  think  proper,  without  asking  your  permission.  I 
simply  desire  to  know  whether  you  intend  to  pre 
vent  my  going  by  force."  He  was  not  allowed  to 
cross;  and  as  he  soon  gave  new  proofs  of  contuma 
cy  by  persisting  in  praying  for  the  President  of  the 
United  States,  when  asked  to  hold  services  in  the 
chapel,  before  the  rebel  soldiers,  he  was  soon  ban 
ished,  and  his  property  confiscated. 

The  ladies  we  had  left  behind  naturally  felt  a 
strong  desire  to  be  with  us  once  more.  My  wife  did 
not  wish  to  ask  permission  of  the  rebel  authorities, 
and  I  saw  little  chance  of  her  coming  in  any  other 
way.  Nevertheless,  to  my  surprise,  she  made  her  ap 
pearance  at  the  wharf  at  Fort  Sumter  on  the  after 
noon  of  the  3d  of  January.  It  seems  she  found  a 
boat-load  of  laborers  about  to  make  the  passage,  for 
the  purpose  of  obtaining  their  back  pay  from  Cap 
tain  Foster.  She  took  a  seat  in  the  stern  of  the  boat, 
and  told  them  to  take  her  with  them.  The  sentinel 
who  was  there  to  examine  the  passes  did  not  inter 
fere  or  ask  her  any  questions,  so  she  came  over  with- 


96  REMINISCENCES  OF 

out  difficulty.  Mrs.  Foster  and  her  sister,  Mrs.  Smith, 
were  already  with  us,  having  obtained  a  permit  from 
the  governor.  Mrs.  Seymour  had  made  an  unsuc 
cessful  application  to  the  commander  of  Fort  Moul- 
trie,  and  had  been  somewhat  rudely  refused.  Two 
clever  little  boys,  sons  of  our  generous-hearted  sutler, 
Dan  Sinclair,  volunteered  to  row  her  across.  After 
dark,  they  pulled  a  boat  out  from  under  a  house  up 
the  beach ;  and  as  there  was  no  guard  there,  Mrs. 
Seymour  came  over  without  difficulty. 

The  ladies  were  desirous  of  remaining  an  indef 
inite  length  of  time ;  but  we  had  no  means  of  mak 
ing  them  comfortable,  and  Major  Anderson  thought 
their  presence  would  merely  add  to  our  embarrass 
ment.  In  accordance  with  his  wishes,  they  left  that 
night  and  the  next  day.  The  cold  was  intense,  and 
as  all  the  wood  was  retained  for  cooking  purposes,  I 
was  obliged  to  split  up  a  mahogany  table  for  fuel,  to 
keep  my  wife  from  suffering  during  her  brief  visit. 
She  and  Mrs.  Seymour  went  back  with  the  Sinclair 
boys  at  midnight.  They  succeeded  in  making  a 
landing,  and  in  reaching  the  chaplain's  house  with 
out  being  observed. 

In  the  mean  time,  an  amusing  scene  had  occurred 
there.  A  very  chivalrous  gentleman,  Ex -Governor 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  97 

Means,  of  South  Carolina,  had  learned  in  some  way 
that  Mrs.  Seymour  had  been  rudely  refused  permission 
to  visit  her  husband  in  Fort  Sumter.  He  thought 
this  action  of  the  commandant  of  Fort  Moultrie 
harsh  and  unnecessary,  and  was  kind  enough  to  take 
the  trouble  to  call  at  the  chaplain's  house  to  assure 
Mrs.  Seymour  that  he  would  procure  her  a  pass  from 
higher  authority.  The  chaplain  hardly  knew  how  to 
act.  He  did  not  like  to  tell  the  ex-governor  that  Mrs. 
Seymour  had  already  gone,  for  fear  it  might  get  the 
Sinclair  boys  into  trouble.  He  therefore  pretended 
that  Mrs.  Seymour  was  confined  to  her  room  with  a 
sick-headache.  The  ex-governor  sent  in  repeated  mes 
sages  to  beg  that  she  would  see  him,  if  it  was  only 
for  a  moment,  but  the  answers  njade  up  by  Mrs. 
Harris  were  invariably  in  the  negative.  The  chap 
lain  afterward  laughed  heartily  at  the  equivocal  posi 
tion  he  had  been  forced  to  assume. 

Now  that  we  were  alone  once  more,  we  went  to 
work  with  a  will.  The  Baltimore  laborers  were  of 
inestimable  value.  They  did  an  immense  amount  of 
labor  in  the  way  of  mounting  guns,  and  moving 
weighty  materials  from  one  part  of  the  work  to  an 
other  j  but  they  showed  no  inclination  to  take  part 
in  the  fighting,  should  any  occur. 

5 


98  REMINISCENCES  OF 

On  the  3d,  the  South  Carolina  commissioners  final 
ly  shook  off  the  dust  from  their  feet,  and  left  Wash 
ington,  having  utterly  failed  to  accomplish  the  object 
of  their  mission. 

On  the  same  day,  the  governor,  through  Mr.  Gour- 
din's*  influence,  permitted  us  to  receive  our  mails 
once  more.  By  this  date  we  had  mounted  all  the 
guns  we  were  able  to  man  on  the  lower  tier,  and  had 
bricked  up  the  surplus  windows,  sally-ports,  and  em 
brasures,  as  we  had  no  one  to  guard  them.  The  ene 
my,  in  the  mean  time,  had  erected  a  battery  at  Fort 
Johnson,  and  marked  out  another  directly  opposite  to 
us  in  Moultrieville. 

On  the  6th,  the  mayor  of  New  York,  Fernando 
Wood,  promulgated  a  message  to  the  effect  that  the 
Union  was  breaking  up,  and  recommending  that  the 
city  of  New  York  secede  from  the  State.  At  this 
time  the  seeming  indifference  of  the  politicians  to 
our  fate  made  us  feel  like  orphan  children  of  the 
Republic,  deserted  by  both  the  State  and  Federal 
administrations. 

On  the  same  day,  Governor  Pickens  graciously  al- 

*  One  of  the  original  leaders  of  secession,  and  a  life-long  friend 
and  correspondent  of  Major  Anderson. 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  99 

lowed  Mrs.  Anderson  to  visit  her  husband,  but  cou 
pled  the  permission  with  the  ungenerous  stipulation 
that  the  interview  must  take  place  in  presence  of 
witnesses.  He  disliked  very  much  to  disoblige  her, 
as  she  belonged  to  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
families  of  Georgia,  and  had  many  influential  rela 
tives  among  the  Secessionists.  Mr.  Gourdin  too,  who 
was  a  warm  personal  friend  of  her  husband,  exerted 
himself  in  her  behalf.  While  she  herself  displayed 
great  patriotism,  several  of  her  brothers  in  the  final 
attack  on  Fort  Sumter  were  on  the  opposite  side, 
fighting  against  her  husband.  Under  the  circum 
stances,  her  visit  to  us  was  a  brief  one.  She  brought 
a  valuable  addition  to  the  fort  in  the  shape  of  Peter 
Hart,  a  gallant  and  trustworthy  man,  who  had  been 
Anderson's  orderly  sergeant  in  Mexico.  She  felt 
much  easier  in  her  mind,  now  that  the  major  had 
Hart  to  look  after  him.  He  was  only  permitted  to 
join  us  on  condition  that  his  duties  were  to  be  those 
of  a  civilian,  and  not  of  a  soldier. 

On  the  8th,  the  governor,  who,  like  Louis  XIV., 
might  very  readily  have  said,  "Eetat,  Jest  moiT 
concluded  to  form  a  cabinet  to  assist  him  in  his  on 
erous  duties.  He  accordingly  appointed  J.  G.  Ma- 
grath  Secretary  of  State;  D.  F.  Jamison,  Secretary 


100  REMINISCENCES  OF 

of  War;  C.  G.  Memminger,  Secretary  of  the  Treas 
ury  ;  A.  C.  Garlington,  Secretary  of  the  Interior ;  and 
W.  H.  Harlee,  Postmaster-general. 

On  the  same  day,  our  ladies,  who  had  assembled 
at  the  Mills  House,  in  Charleston,  left  for  the  North 
in  a  body,  on  account  of  the  state  of  public  feeling 
in  the  city.* 

Their  presence  with  us  threw  a  momentary  bright 
ness  over  the  scene,  but  after  their  departure  every 
thing  looked  more  gloomy  and  disheartening  than 
before.  The  fort  itself  was  a  deep,  dark,  damp, 
gloomy-looking  place,  inclosed  in  high  walls,  where 
the  sunlight  rarely  penetrated.  If  we  ascended  to 
the  parapet,  we  saw  nothing  but  uncouth  State  flags, 
representing  palmettos,  pelicans,  and  other  strange 
devices.  No  echo  seemed  to  come  back  from  the 
loyal  North  to  encourage  us.  Our  glasses  in  vain 
swept  the  horizon ;  the  one  flag  we  longed  to  see  was 
not  there.  It  did  come  at  last,  in  a  timid,  apologetic 

*  My  wife  applied  for  board  in  Charleston,  but  was  told  she  must 
first  obtain  the  sanction  of  Mr.  Rhett,  the  editor  of  the  Mercury.  She 
was  afterward  informed  by  the  boarding-house  keeper  that,  as  the 
house  depended  on  the  patronage  of  the  Southern  people  for  support, 
she  (the  landlady)  could  not  undertake  to  harbor  the  wives  of  Federal 
officers. 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  101 

way,  and  not  as  a  representative  of  the  war  power  of 
the  Government. 

We  had  seen  a  statement  in  a  Northern  paper  that 
a  steamer  named  the  Star  of  the  West^  which  be 
longed  to  Marshall  O.  Roberts,  was  to  be  sent  to  us, 
under  command  of  Captain  John  M'Gowan,  with  a 
re-enforcement  of  several  hundred  men  and  supplies 
of  food  and  ammunition ;  but  we  could  not  credit  the 
rumor.  To  publish  all  the  details  of  an  expedition 
of  this  kind,  which  ought  to  be  kept  a  profound  se 
cret,  was  virtually  telling  South  Carolina  to  prepare 
her  guns  to  sink  the  vessel.  It  was  hard  to  believe 
the  Government  would  send  to  us  a  mercantile  steam 
er — a  mere  transport,  utterly  unfitted  to  contend  with 
shore  batteries — when  it  could  dispatch  a  man-of-war 
furnished  with  all  the  means  and  appliances  to  repel 
force  by  force.  As  the  insurgents  at  this  period  had 
but  few  field-guns,  and  a  very  scanty  supply  of  can 
non-powder,  the  Brooklyn  alone,  in  my  opinion,  could 
have  gone  straight  to  the  wharf  in  Charleston,  and 
have  put  an  end  to  the  insurrection  then  and  there ; 
for  we  all  know  what  its  distinguished  captain,  Far- 
ragut,  was  able  to  accomplish  when  left  to  his  own 
resources. 

It  seems,  however,  the   news  was  literally  true. 


102  REMINISCENCES  OF 

The  expedition  was  fitted  out  by  Lieutenant  Wash 
ington  A.  Bartlett,  an  ex-officer  of  our  navy.* 

Although  I  had  little  faith  in  the  announcement, 
I  scanned  with  increased  interest  every  vessel  that 
approached  the  harbor. 

Soon  after  daylight,  on  the  morning  of  the  9th,  I 
was  on  the  parapet  with  my  spy-glass ;  for  I  fancied, 
from  a  signal  I  had  observed  the  previous  evening 
on  a  pilot-boat,  that  something  must  be  coming.  As 
I  looked  seaward,  I  saw  a  large  steamer  pass  the  bar 
and  enter  the  Morris  Island  channel.  It  had  the  or 
dinary  United  States  flag  up ;  and  as  it  evidently  did 
not  belong  to  the  navy,  I  came  to  the  conclusion  it 
must  be  the  Star  of  the  West.  I  do  not  remember 
that  any  other  officers  were  on  the  lookout  at  this 
time.  Anderson  himself  was  still  in  bed.  When 
the  vessel  came  opposite  the  new  battery,  which  had 
just  been  built  by  the  cadets,  I  saw  a  shot  fired  to 
bring  her  to.  Soon  after  this  an  immense  United 
States  garrison-flag  was  run  up  at  the  fore.  With 
out  waiting  to  ascertain  the  result  of  the  firing,  I 

*  The  army  officers  on  board  were  First  Lieutenant  Charles  K. 
Woods,  Ninth  Infantry,  commanding ;  First  Lieutenant  William  A. 
Webb,  Fifth  Infantry ;  Second  Lieutenant  Charles  W.  Thomas,  First 
Infantry ;  and  Assistant-surgeon  P.  G.  S.  Ten  Broeck. 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  103 

dashed  down  the  back  stairs  to  Anderson's  room,  to 
notify  him  of  the  occurrence.  He  told  me  to  have 
the  long  roll  beaten,  and  to  post  the  men  at  the  guns 
on  the  parapet.  I  ran  out,  called  the  drummers,  and 
had  the  alarm  sounded.  It  took  but  a  few  minutes 
for  men  and  officers  to  form  at  the  guns  in  readiness 
for  action.  The  battery  was  still  firing,  but  the  trans 
port  had  passed  by,  and  was  rapidly  getting  out  of 
range.  At  the  same  time  it  was  approaching  within 
gun-shot  of  Fort  Moultrie.  The  latter  immediately 
opened  fire  from  one  or  two  guns.  Anderson  would 
not  allow  us  to  return  this  fire ;  and  the  captain  of 
the  vessel,  wholly  discouraged  by  our  failure  to  re 
spond,  turned  about,  and  made  his  way  back  to  New 
York.  Two  shots  had  struck  the  steamer,  but  no  es 
sential  injury  was  done.  I  think  the  people  in  Fort 
Moultrie,  who  expected  to  be  driven  out  to  take  ref 
uge  behind  the  sand-hills,  were  especially  astonished 
at  our  inaction.  It  is  very  true  that  the  Morris  Isl 
and  battery  was  beyond  the  reach  of  our  guns.  Still, 
we  did  not  know  this  positively  at  the  time;  and 
our  firing  in  that  direction,  even  if  ineffectual,  would 
have  encouraged  the  steamer  to  keep  on  its  course. 
We  had  one  or  two  guns  bearing  on  Fort  Moultrie ; 
and  as  that  was  w>thio  easy  range,  we  could  have 


104  REMINISCENCES  OF 

kept  down  the  fire  there  long  enough  to  enable  the 
steamer  to  come  in.  It  was  plainly  our  duty  to  do 
all  that  we  could.  For  any  thing  we  knew  to  the 
contrary,  she  might  have  been  in  a  sinking  condition. 
Had  she  gone  down  before  our  eyes,  without  an  ef 
fort  on  our  part  to  aid  her,  Anderson  would  have  in 
curred  a  fearful  responsibility  by  his  inaction. 

Mr.  Dawson,  in  his  account  of  these  incidents  in 
the  Historical  Magazine,  has  it  that  a  council  of 
war  was  held  by  us  to  determine  whether  we  would 
fire  or  not,  and  that  we  decided  not  to  fire.  He 
founds  this  upon  verbal  statements  made  by  Foster 
and  Davis.  I  know  Foster  was  under  this  impres 
sion  ;  but  upon  my  recalling  the  circumstances  to  his 
recollection  a  short  time  before  his  death,  lie  admit 
ted  his  mistake.  My  memory  is  very  clear  and  dis 
tinct  on  this  point,  and  I  am  sustained  in  regard  to  it 
by  both  Seymour  and  Crawford.  Davis  I  have  not 
seen  for  some  time,  but  I  have  no  doubt  he  will  con 
firm  what  I  have  said  when  his  memory  is  refreshed. 

Indeed  there  was  no  time  for  deliberation  while 
the  troops  were  at  the  guns,  for  the  vessel  was  mov 
ing  very  rapidly,  and  the  whole  affair  was  over  in  a 
few  minutes.  The  council  was  held  after  the  steam 
er  had  gone,  to  determine  what  action  ought  to  be 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  105 

taken  in  consequence  of  the  attack.  It  was  too  late 
then  for  resistance,  and  all  we  could  do  was  to  send 
Lieutenant  Hall  to  the  governor  with  a  flag  of  truce, 
to  demand  an  explanation.  In  this  communication, 
Anderson  expressly  stated  that  if  he  did  not  receive 
a  satisfactory  reply,  he  would  not,  hereafter,  allow 
any  vessel  from  Charleston  to  pass  within  reach  of 
his  guns.  As  might  be  expected,  the  governor  re 
plied  that  he  took  the  responsibility  of  the  firing,  and 
would  do  it  again  under  like  circumstances.  Ander 
son  then  reconvened  the  council  to  lay  this  answer 
before  them.  Through  his  influence  it  was  con 
cluded  to  send  Lieutenant  Talbot  to  Washington 
with  a  full  statement  of  the  occurrence,  and  await 
his  return  with  specific  instructions  from  the  War 
Department.  To  carry  out  even  this  programme, 
the  major  was  obliged  to  obtain  the  governor's 
permission  for  Lieutenant  Talbot  to  pass  through 
Charleston.  It  was  urged  by  Anderson  that  the 
delay  would  enable  us  to  finish  our  preparations 
for  defense;  but  it  was  evident  that  time  was  far 
more  valuable  to  the  enemy  than  it  was  to  us,  for  it 
enabled  them  to  complete  and  arm  their  batteries, 
and  close  the-  harbor  against  our  men-of-war,  thus 
virtually  imprisoning  us  in  our  island  home. 

5* 


106  REMINISCENCES  OF 

When  Talbot  left,  we  resumed  our  labors  as  usual. 
No  attempt  was  made  to  carry  out  the  threat  of  stop 
ping  all  passing  vessels. 

By  the  14th  of  January  our  heavy  guns  were  up ; 
but  by  that  time,  too,  the  greater  part  of  Fort  Moul- 
trie  and  Castle  Pinckney  were  shielded  from  our 
direct  fire  by  huge  piles  of  sand-bags.* 

"We  now  began  to  get  out  of  fuel,  but  we  still  had 
a  resource  in  some  wooden  sheds  inside  the  fort, 
which  had  been  used  as  a  temporary  shelter  for 
cement  and  building  materials.  Our  position  was 
greatly  alleviated  in  one  respect.  Owing,  it  is  said, 
to  the  influence  of  Mr.  Gourdin,  already  referred  to 
as  a  leading  Secessionist,  and  an  old  friend"  of  Major 
Anderson,  we  were  allowed  to  receive  our  mails  once 
more.  After  the  Star  of  the  West  affair,  they  prob 
ably  thought  we  were  very  harmless  people,  and  de 
served  some  reward  for  our  forbearance. 

*  Castle  Pinckney  at  this  time  was  commanded  by  Colonel  J.  John 
ston  Petigru ;  Sullivan's  Island,  by  Adjutant  and  Inspector-general 
Dunovant ;  Fort  Johnson,  by  Captain  James  Johnson,  of  the  Charles 
ton  Rifles.  The  United  States  Arsenal,  by  Colonel  John  Cunningham, 
of  the  Seventeenth  South  Carolina  militia ;  its  former  commander, 
Captain  Humphreys,  the  United  States  military  store-keeper,  having 
been  ejected  on  the  30th  of  December. 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MO UL TRIE.  107 


CHAPTEE  VIII. 

A    KESORT    TO     DIPLOMACY. 

Major  Anderson's  Proposed  Diplomatic  Negotiations.  —  Defensive 
Preparations.— Changes  in  the  Cabinet. — Meade's  Defection. — 
Anecdote  of  Governor  Pickens.  —  Battery  at  Cummings  Point. — 
Soldiers'  Families  removed. — A  Threatening  Letter. — Confederate 
Visitors  to  the  Fort.  —  Organization  of  the  Confederate  Govern 
ment. 

AND  now  the  Charleston  statesmen  concocted  a 
plan  to  take  away  from  us  all  hope  of  succor,  so  that 
we  might  be  induced  to  surrender.  To  this  end 
they  determined  to  fill  up  the  entrance  of  the  harbor 
by  depositing  stone  there.  Whether  they  really  in 
tended  to  do  this,  or  made  a  pretense  of  doing  it,  I 
never  knew ;  but  they  certainly  did  obtain  some  old 
hulks  from  Savannah,  and  sunk  them  in  the  channel. 
Either  these  hulks  were  deposited  in  the  wrong 
places,  or  else  the  tide  drifted  them  into  deep  water, 
for  it  is  certain  they  never  formed  any  impediment 
to  navigation  afterward.  Perhaps  it  was  a  mere 
coup  de  theatre,  to  intimidate  us,  and  prevent  re- 
enforcements  from  attempting  to  come  in ;  at  all 


108  REMINISCENCES  OF 

events,  it  was  a  preliminary  to  a  grand  effort  to  ne 
gotiate  us  out  of  Fort  Snmter.  For  this  purpose  two 
representative  men  came  over  from  the  city  on  the 
llth,  in  the  little  steamer  Antelope,  under  a  white 
flag.  The  party  consisted  of  the  late  United  States 
district  judge,  A.  G.  Magrath,  now  Secretary  of  State 
for  South  Carolina,  and  General  D.  F.  Jamison,  their 
new  Secretary  of  War.  The  j  udge,  who  was  the  cham 
pion  orator  of  the  State,  made  a  long  and  eloquent 
speech,  the  purport  of  which  was  that  South  Caro 
lina  was  determined  to  have  Fort  Sumter  at  all  haz 
ards  ;  that  they  would  pull  it  down  with  their  finger 
nails,  if  they  could  not  get  it  in  any  other  way  ;  that 
the  other  Southern  States  were  becoming  excited  on 
the  subject ;  that  President  Buchanan  was  in  his  do 
tage  ;  that  the  government  in  Washington  was  break 
ing  up ;  that  all  was  confusion,  despair,  and  disorder 
there;  and  that  it  was  full  time  for  us  to  look  out 
for  our  own  safety,  for  if  we  refused  to  give  up  the 
fort  nothing  could  prevent  the  Southern  troops  from 
exterminating  us.  He  ended  this  tragical  statement 
by  saying, "  May  God  Almighty  enable  you  to  come 
to  a  just  decision  !" 

Anderson  seemed  deeply  affected  at  the  prospect 
of  hostilities.     He  asked  them  why  they  did  not  first 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  109 

attempt  diplomacy,  instead  of  war.  He  said  if  they 
would  send  a  commissioner  to  lay  their  claims  before 
the  authorities  at  "Washington,  he  would  send  anoth 
er  to  represent  the  condition  of  the  fort;  and  the 
Government  could  then  form  its  own  judgment,  and 
come  to  some  decision.  Judge  Magrath  replied  that 
he  would  report  the  proposition  to  Governor  Pickens 
for  his  action.  He  and  his  companion  then  took  a 
solemn  leave  of  us,  and  returned  to  Charleston. 

Upon  reporting  the  facts  to  the  governor,  it  was  at 
once  decided  to  accept  Anderson's  proposition.  They 
gained  an  immense  advantage  in  so  doing;  for  the 
agreement  tied  the  hands  of  the  United  States  for 
an  indefinite  period  of  time,  and  prevented  the  arriv 
al  of  any  war  vessels  until  South  Carolina  was  fully 
prepared  to  receive  them.  The  delay  gave  the  State 
time  to  complete  and  man  its  batteries,  and  to  obtain 
an  unlimited  number  of  guns  and  quantities  of  shot 
and  shell  from  the  cannon  foundry  at  Richmond, 
Virginia,  known  as  the  Tredegar  Iron  Works.  Thus, 
while  our  supplies  would  be  running  out,  theirs  would 
be  coming  in.  Every  day's  delay  would  weaken  us 
and  strengthen  them.  I  was  strongly  opposed  to  this 
fatal  measure,  which  ultimately  cost  us  the  loss  of 
Fort  Sumter;  but  as  it  had  simply  emanated  from 


HO  REMINISCENCES  OF 

Anderson  himself,  by  virtue  of  his  powers  as  com 
manding  officer,  and  had  not  been  submitted  to  a 
council  of  war,  there  was  no  opportunity  for  protest. 
^He  was  at  this  time  at  the  height  of  his  popularity, 
and  every  thing  he  did  was  sure  to  be  sustained  at 
Washington. 

In  this  embassy,  Colonel  Isaac  W.  Hayne,  an  emi 
nent  lawyer  of  Charleston,  was  chosen  as  the  com 
missioner  from  South  Carolina,  and  Lieutenant  Nor 
man  J.  Hall  was  sent  as  a  representative  of  Fort 
Sumter. 

After  this  event  every  thing  went  on,  for  a  while, 
as  usual. 

By  the  15th  of  January  we  had  secured  the  main 
gates  against  an  assault,  by  building  a  wall  of  stone 
and  mortar  behind  them,  leaving  merely  what  is  call 
ed  a  man-hole,  for  the  entrance  of  one  person  at  a 
time.  Even  this  was  covered  by  a  twenty -four- 
pounder  howitzer,  loaded  with  canister. 

By  the  llth  the  money  appropriated  by  the  South 
Carolina  Legislature  for  war  purposes  amounted  to 
$1,450,000,  and  was  soon  after  increased  to  $1,800,000. 
There  was  not  a  dollar  in  the  treasury,  and  nothing 
but  the  bank  of  the  State  to  draw  upon. 

On  the  same  day  the  financial  condition  of  the 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  in 

United  States  was  much  improved  by  the  appoint 
ment  of  John  A.  Dix  as  Secretary  of  the  Treasury. 
This  gave  great  confidence  to  the  moneyed  men  of 
New  York,  who  immediately  rallied  to  the  support 
of  the  Government. 

To  all  appearance,  about  six  hundred  negroes  were 
now  at  work,  night  and  day,  in  perfecting  the  defenses 
of  Fort  Moultrie.  The  enemy  continued  their  hos 
tile  preparations  with  the  utmost  energy  and  zeal, 
in  spite  of  the  tacit  truce  which  was  supposed  to  ex 
ist,  and  which  prevented  the  President  from  sending 
men-of-war  to  aid  or  to  re-enforce  us.  I  think  An 
derson  might  well  have  remonstrated  against  the 
landing  of  additional  heavy  guns  and  mortars  on 
Sullivan's  Island,  and  the  erection  of  new  batteries, 
to  be  used  against  us.  He  should  at  once  have  re 
ported  this  increased  activity  to  "Washington,  in  or- 
der  that  the  agreement  might  be  terminated,  or  at 
least  limited  to  a  certain  number  of  days. 

On  the  17th,  Judge  Holt  was  nominated  as  Sec 
retary  of  War,  and  was  soon  after  confirmed  by  the 
Senate.  We  were  very  glad  to  have  an  energetic 
and  patriotic  man  at  the  head  of  this  department. 

On  the  18th,  Lieutenant  Meade  left  us  for  his 
home  in  Richmond,  Virginia,  in  consequence  of  a 


H2  REMINISCENCES  OF 

dispatch  which  stated  that  his  mother  was  at  the 
point  of  death.  I  never  knew  whether  this  tele 
gram  was  founded  on  fact,  or  was  a  strategic  move 
to  force  poor  Meade  into  the  ranks  of  the  Confeder 
acy,  by  detaching  him  temporarily  from  us,  and  tak 
ing  him  where  tremendous  political  and  social  influ 
ences  could  be  brought  to  bear  upon  him.  He  had 
previously  been  overwhelmed  with  letters  on  the  sub 
ject.  He  was  already  much  troubled  in  mind;  and 
some  months  after  the  bombardment  of  Fort  Sumter 
the  pressure  of  family  ties  induced  him  (very  reluc 
tantly,  as  I  heard)  to  join  the  Disunionists.  It  was 
stated  that  he  never  was  a  happy  man  afterward, 
and  that  before  a  year  had  passed  death  put  an  end 
to  his  sorrow  and  regret.  He  was  the  son  of  R  K. 
Meade,  our  minister  to  Brazil. 

The  troops  opposite  to  us  were  now  regularly  re 
ceiving  supplies  and  re -enforcements,  and  drilling 
daily,  while  all  the  necessaries  of  life  were  constant 
ly  diminishing  with  us.  We  were  already  out  of 
sugar,  soap,  and  candles. 

On  the  19th,  Lieutenant  Talbot  returned  from  his 
visit  to  Washington,  where,  it  will  be  remembered,  he 
had  been  sent  to  explain  the  Star  of  the  West  affair, 
and  ask  for  specific  instructions,  which  would  relieve 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  113 

Anderson  from  the  responsibility,  and  throw  it  upon 
the  Administration.  The  orders  he  brought  back 
were  to  the  effect  that  they  had  the  utmost  confi 
dence  in  Major  Anderson,  and  that  they  left  every 
thing  to  his  judgment.  This  was  throwing  the  re 
sponsibility  all  back  upon  him.  It  was  very  compli 
mentary,  but  far  from  satisfactory. 

Talbot  stated  that*  he  had  great  difficulty  in  mak 
ing  a  safe  transit  through  Charleston ;  for  while  the 
leaders  seemed  to  be  more  pacific  than  ever,  the  pop 
ulace  had  become  more  violent.  It  was  even  thought 
necessary  to  send  an  officer  with  him  to  secure  his 
personal  safety.  He  brought  me  the  pleasant  infor 
mation  that  the  mob  were  howling  for  my  head, 
as  that  of  the  only  Republican,  or,  as  they  called  it, 
"  Black  Republican,"  in  the  fort. 

Many  unfavorable  comments  having  been  made, 
even  in  the  Southern  States,  more  particularly  in 
Kentucky,  in  relation  to  Governor  Pickens's  treat 
ment  of  us,  he  relaxed  his  severity,  and  on  the  21st 
sent  us  over  some  fresh  beef  and  vegetables;  as 
if  we  would  consent  to  be  fed  by  the  charity  of 
South  Carolina.  Anderson  showed  a  good  deal  of 
proper  spirit  on  this  occasion.  He  declined  to  re 
ceive  the  provisions,  but  notified  the  governor  that, 


H4  REMINISCENCES  OF 

if  we  were  not  interfered  with,  we  would  purchase 
our  own  supplies  in  Charleston  market.  The  gov 
ernor  consented  to  this;  but  nothing  came  of  it. 
There  seemed  to  be  a  combination  among  the  mar 
ket-men  not  to  sell  us  any  food.  Indeed,  this  action 
of  the  governor  made  him  very  unpopular  with  the 
Rhett  faction.  Rhett  rushed  over  to  inform  him 
that  the  people  demanded  that  Fort  Sumter  should 
be  taken  without  any  further  procrastination  or  de 
lay.  The  governor  made  a  very  shrewd  reply.  He 
said,  "Certainly,  Mr.  Rhett ;  I  have  no  objection  !  I 
will  furnish  you  with  some  men,  and  you  can  storm 
the  work  yourself."  Rhett  drew  back  and  replied, 
"  But,  sir,  I  am  not  a  military  man !"  "  Nor  I  either," 
said  the  governor, "  and  therefore  I  take  the  advice 
of  those  that  are !"  After  this,  there  was  no  further 
talk  of  an  immediate  assault.  The  action  of  the 
governor  in  this  case  almost  gained  him  the  reputa 
tion  of  a  wit  among  the  officers  of  his  command. 

Lieutenant  Hall  being  absent  on  diplomatic  duty, 
and  Dr.  Crawford  being  temporarily,  and  Lieuten 
ant  Talbot  permanently,  on  the  sick-list,  the  rest 
of  us  were  utterly  worn  out  with  the  labor  that  de 
volved  upon  us.  Guard  duty  was  especially  severe, 
as  increased  vigilance  became  necessary,  in  conse- 


FORTS  SUMTER   AND  MOULTRIE.  115 

quence  of  certain  threatening  preparations  made  by 
the  enemy.  The  leaders  in  Charleston  soon  saw  that 
the  joint  mission  of  Hall  and  Hayne  could  not  pos 
sibly  result  in  any  thing  decisive ;  but  as  every  day 
added  to  their  strength  and  resources,  they  did  not 
choose  to  recall  their  commissioner.  They  left  him 
to  continue  his  arguments  in  relation  to  the  "  right 
of  eminent  domain,"  while  they  prepared  for  war. 
In  the  hope  that  some  day  they  might  take  us  by  sur 
prise,  they  had  the  guard-boats,  which  still  patrolled 
the  harbor,  painted  black,  and  all  the  lights  and  fires 
carefully  screened  from  view.  They  probably  in 
tended  to  choose  a  dark  night  to  drop  down  noise 
lessly  with  the  tide,  and  take  advantage  of  a  sleepy 
sentinel,  or  some  other  favorable  circumstance,  to 
land  a  party  on  the  rocks  at  the  base  of  the  wall, 
and  seize  the  main  entrance,  or  make  their  way  in 
through  one  of  the  embrasures. 

On  the  24th,  New  York  City,  speaking  through  its 
mayor,  Fernando  Wood,  seemed  to  offer  the  right 
hand  of  fellowship  to  the  Secessionists.  Certain 
arms  which  had  been  purchased  by  Georgia,  to  be 
used  against  the  General  Government,  were  detained 
in  New  York,  and  Ex-Senator  Toombs  telegraphed  to 
"Wood  for  an  explanation.  The  latter  characterized 


Il6  REMINISCENCES  OF 

the  detention  as  an  outrage  for  which  he  was  not  re 
sponsible,  and  for  which  he  would  inflict  summary 
punishment,  if  he  had  the  power. 

Lieutenant  Meade  returned  faithfully  on  the  25th, 
but  brought  no  news  of  importance. 

On  the  26th,  Anderson  applied  for  the  code  of 
naval  signals,  so  that  if  a  fleet  at  any  time  should 
cross  the  bar,  he  might  communicate  with  it  at  a  dis 
tance. 

Up  to  the  30th  we  had  not  been  able  to  procure 
any  thing  to  eat  from  the  city;  but  through  the  in 
fluence  of  Mr.  Gourdin,  who  seemed  to  have  a  spe 
cial  mission  to  smooth  over  all  difficulties,  a  new  ar 
rangement  was  made,  by  which  our  provisions  were 
ostensibly  purchased  for  Fort  Johnson,  and  were  for 
warded  to  us  from  there. 

.  The  nearest  land  to  us  was  called  Cumrnings 
Point.  It  was  nearly  opposite  the  gorge,  which  was 
the  weakest  side  of  Fort  Sumter,  the  wall  there  be 
ing  thinner  than  in  any  other  part.  The  enemy  now 
began  to  build  the  most  formidable  of  all  their  bat 
teries  on  the  point  referred  to.  It  was  constructed 
of  strong  timber,  plated  with  railroad  iron,  and  par 
tially  covered  with  sand.  When  finished,  it  was  re 
garded  as  almost  impregnable.  Steamers  from  the 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  117 

city  passed  within  a  stone's-throw  of  us  daily,  loaded 
with  the  materials  used  in  its  construction,  without 
opposition  and  without  remonstrance. 

As  it  seemed  settled  that  we  were  to  wait  until 
Hayne  was  through  with  his  law-points,  and  as  our 
food,  in  the  mean  time,  was  rapidly  giving  out,  An 
derson,  on  the  21st,  directed  me  to  make  arrange 
ments  with  the  authorities  of  Charleston  to  enable  us 
to  send  off  the  soldiers'  families  to  Fort  Hamilton. 
This  was  done;  and  the  women  and  children  were 
shipped  off  to  Charleston  on  the  30th,  and  transfer 
red  to  the  steamer  Marion,  which  left  for  New  York 
on  the  3d  of  February.  As  they  passed  the  fort 
outward-bound,  the  men  gave  them  repeated  cheers 
as  a  farewell,  and  displayed  much  feeling ;  for  they 
thought  it  very  probable  they  might  not  meet  them 
again  for  a  long  period,  if  ever.* 

*  Among  these  children  was  a  little  waif,  called  Dick  Rowley,  aft 
erward  known  as  "Sumter  Dick."  He  had  been  abandoned  by  his 
mother,  and  thus  thrown  out  on  the  world.  For  a  time  he  was  sent, 
after  his  arrival  in  New  York,  to  the  house  of  Dr.  Stewart,  who  was  a 
family  connection  of  mine.  After  supper  he  reminded  the  ladies  that 
he  had  not  heard  tattoo  yet,  and  wished  to  know  at  what  hour  they 
beat  the  reveille.  He  evidently  thought  every  well-regulated  family 
kept  a  drummer  and  fifer  on  hand,  to  sound  the  calls.  He  was  very 
unhappy  until  he  had  procured  a  small  stick  and  a  miniature  flag. 


Il8  REMINISCENCES  OF 

On  the  arrival  of  these  families  at  Fort  Hamilton, 
New  York,  they  found  themselves  in  straitened  cir 
cumstances,  because,  owing  to  our  isolation,  the  men 
had  not  been  paid  off  for  a  long  time,  and  there 
fore  had  no  money  to  give  their  wives.  Plymouth 
Church,  however,  interested  itself  in  their  behalf, 
and  soon  made  them  comparatively  comfortable. 

Had  our  Government  been  really  disposed,  at  this 
period,  to  act  with  ordinary  energy,  it  might  have 
opened  a  communication  with  us,  and  cleared  the 
Morris  Island  channel  without  much  difficulty.  There 
were  only  about  three  hundred  Charleston  militia 
guarding  the  batteries  on  that  island;  and  it  would 
have  been  easy  for  a  small  force  of  mariners  and  sol 
diers  to  land  there  in  the  night,  take  the  batteries  in 
reverse,  and  drive  the  troops  out,  or  capture  them. 
This  once  accomplished,  re  -  enforcements  and  sup 
plies  could  have  been  sent  us  to  any  amount.  Bu 
chanan's  administration,  however,  was  drawing  to  a 
close ;  and  his  only  desire  seemed  to  be  to  get 
through  his  term  of  office  without  a  collision,  leav- 


Every  morning  at  sunrise  he  hoisted  the  flag,  and  carefully  lowered 
it  and  put  it  away  at  sunset.  He  is  now  a  cabinet-maker  at  Marion, 
Ohio,  and  recently  gained  a  prize  for  his  excellent  workmanship. 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  119 

ing  the  difficulties  and  perplexities  of  his  position 
as  a  legacy  to  his  successor. 

On  the  30th,  I  received  an  insulting  letter  from 
Charleston,  informing  me  that,  if  I  were  ever  caught 
in  the  city,  an  arrangement  had  been  made  to  tar 
and  feather  me  as  an  Abolitionist. 

February  had  now  arrived.  The  4th  of  the  month 
was  made  memorable  by  the  meeting  of  the  Peace 
Congress  at  Washington,  and  by  a  convention  to  rep 
resent  the  Southern  States  at  Montgomery,  Alabama. 

On  the  6th,  the  new  Secretary  of  War,  Judge  Holt, 
wrote  to  South  Carolina  that  the  President  did  not 
intend  to  inaugurate  any  aggressive  measures ;  and 
if  the  State  government  attacked  Fort  Sumter,  they 
would  incur  a  fearful  responsibility. 

On  the  8th,  some  photographic  artists  were  al 
lowed  to  come  over  and  take  our  portraits  in  a 
group.  I  think  it  proved  a  profitable  speculation, 
for  the  sale  was  quite  large.  One  of  the  party  proved 
afterward  to  be  a  lieutenant  of  a  Charleston  com 
pany.  It  seems  he  came  as  a  spy,  and,  no  doubt, 
thought  he  had  done  a  very  clever  thing ;  but  inas 
much  as  Mr.  Gourdin  and  other  Secessionists,  in 
cluding  several  military  and  naval  officers,  were  per 
mitted  to  roam  through  the  fort  at  will,  there  was 


120  REMINISCENCES  OF 

very  little  use  in  taking  precautions  against  spies. 
Indeed,  on  one  occasion,  another  Major  Anderson,  a 
namesake  of  our  commander,  came  down  to  Charles 
ton  with  a  freight-train  loaded  with  shot,  shell,  heavy 
guns,  and  mortars  for  South  Carolina,  to  be  used  in 
the  batteries  against  us.  He  was  the  owner  of  the 
celebrated  Tredegar  Iron  Works,  of  Richmond,  Yir- 
ginia,  already  referred  to,  and  had  been  enriched  by 
the  patronage  of  the  United  States.  I  thought  it  de 
cidedly  cool  in  him,  under  the  circumstances,  to  come 
over  to  call  on  our  Major  Anderson.  He  made  no 
attempt  at  concealment,  but  stated  without  reserve 
the  object  of  his  trip  to  the  South.  To  my  surprise, 
instead  of  being  summarily  expelled,  he  met  with  a 
most  cordial  reception,  was  invited  to  stay  to  dinner, 
and  when  he  left  he  was  dismissed  with  a  "  Good 
bye  !  God  bless  you  !  You  haven't  such  a  thing  as 
a  late  newspaper  about  you,  have  you  ?" 

On  the  9th  of  February,  the  enemy's  batteries 
were  completed,  manned  and  ready  for  action.  On 
the  same  day  the  Confederate  Government  was  duly 
organized  by  the  election  of  Jefferson  Davis,  of  Mis 
sissippi,  as  President,  and  Alexander  H.  Stephens,  of 
Georgia,  as  Yice- president.  The  Cabinet  consisted 
of  Robert  Toombs,  of  Georgia,  Secretary  of  State ; 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MO UL TRIE.  12 1 

L.  Pope  Walker,  of  Alabama,  Secretary  of  War ;  and 
Charles  G.  Hemminger,  of  South  Carolina,  Secretary 
of  the  Treasury.  Afterward,  Jndah  P.  Benjamin,  of 
Louisiana,  was  appointed  Attorney-general ;  Stephen 
M.  Mallory,  of  Florida,  Secretary  of  the  Navy ;  and 
John  H.  Reagan,  of  Texas,  Postmaster-general.  Pe 
ter  Gnstave  T.  Beauregard,  of  Louisiana,  was  made 
Brigadier-general  to  command  the  provisional  army. 

By  this  time  we  had  finished  most  of  our  prepa 
rations,  and  were  busily  engaged  in  constructing  a 
mine  at  the  extremity  of  the  wharf,  for  the  benefit 
of  any  hostile  party  that  might  land  there. 

Lieutenant  Hall  returned  on  the  10th.  He  had 
had  a  very  pleasant  time  in  Washington,  and  had 
been  petted  a  good  deal  by  the  loyal  people  of  the 
North,  but  his  mission  proved  of  no  real  benefit  to 
the  United  States,  and  we  had  missed  him  a  great 
deal,  for  we  had  been  very  short-handed. 

He  brought  nothing  definite  from  the  Adminis 
tration.  All  the  latter  desired  was  to  have  a  peace 
able  death-bed,  leaving  its  burdens  for  Mr.  Lincoln's 
shoulders. 

As  Hall  passed  through  Charleston,  one  of  the 
young  men  there  told  him  there  was  quite  a  revul 
sion  of  feeling  with  regard  to  attacking  Fort  Sum- 


122  -  REMINISCENCES  OF 

ter.  Hall  inquired  the  reason.  The  reply  was,  that 
a  schooner  which  had  just  come  in  had  been  in  great 
danger  from  one  of  our  infernal  machines,  which 
had  exploded  and  whitened  the  water  for  three  hun 
dred  yards  around.  It  seems  that  Seymour,  who  is 
very  ingenious,  had  fastened  a  cannon  cartridge  in 
the  centre  of  a  barrel  of  paving-stones,  so  arranged 
that  when  the  barrel  was  rolled  off  the  parapet,  the 
powder  would  explode  about  five  feet  from  the  base 
of  the  wall.  I  was  trying  the  experiment  one  day 
as  the  schooner  passed,  and  the  explosion  did  look 
very  destructive,  as  the  paving-stones  dashed  up  the 
water  for  a  distance  of  fifty  feet  from  the  fort. 

On  the  14th,  we  had  two  more  mines  ready  for  any 
storming  party  that  might  desire  to  land. 

About  this  time  Captain  Edward  M'Cready,  of 
Charleston,  who  had  formerly  been  very  intimate 
with  the  officers  of  the  garrison,  wrote  a  letter  urg 
ing  them  to  throw  off  their  allegiance  to  the  United 
States,  and  enter  into  the  Confederate  service.  No 
one  took  the  trouble  to  answer  it. 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  123 


CHAPTEE  IX. 

THE   CRISIS    AT   HAND. 

South  Carolina's  Grievances. — Inauguration  of  President  Lincoln. — 
Determination  to  Re-enforce  Sumter. — An  Audacious  Proposal. — 
The  Shannon. — New  Rebel  Batteries  Unmasked. — Formal  Notice 
of  Bombardment. 

WE  saw  advertisements  now  in  the  Northern  pa 
pers  showing  that  dramas  founded  on  our  occupa 
tion  of  Fort  Sumter,  and  confinement  there,  were  be 
ing  acted  both  in  Boston  and  New  York.  It  was 
quite  amusing  to  see  our  names  in  the  play-bills,  and 
to  find  that  persons  were  acting  our  parts  and  spout 
ing  mock  heroics  on  the  stage. 

On  the  15th,  several  Southern  senators  at  Wash 
ington  wrote  to  Governor  Pickens,  recommending 
that  we  be  allowed  fresh  provisions,  fuel,  and  other 
necessaries,  at  the  same  time  expressing  their  sympa 
thy  with  South  Carolina.  After  this  the  governor 
became  more  polite  and  considerate,  and  allowed 
our  officers  to  send  to  purchase  oil  and  groceries  in 
Charleston.  Rhett's  paper,  The  Mercury,  of  course, 


124  REMINISCENCES  OF 

bitterly  opposed  this  concession.  We  now  learned 
that  the  whole  question  of  Fort  Sumter  had  been 
turned  over  to  the  new  Southern  Confederacy  for  so 
lution. 

At  this  period  grievous  complaints  were  made 
by  the  merchants  of  the  city  of  the  utter  stagna 
tion  of  trade.  All  the  business  had  fled  to  Savan 
nah.  Foreign  vessels  would  not  attempt  to  enter  a 
harbor  where  civil  war  was  raging,  especially  as  it 
was  reported  that  obstructions  had  been  sunk  in  the 
channel.  The  Charleston  people  said  they  now  fully 
understood  and  appreciated  the  kindness  of  the  peo 
ple  of  Savannah  in  furnishing  them  with  old  hulks 
to  destroy  the  harbor  of  Charleston. 

When  the  organization  of  the  new  government 
was  complete,  the  original  Secessionists  of  the  Pal 
metto  State  were  exceedingly  angry  to  find  them 
selves  ignored.  The  President,  Vice-president,  and 
all  the  prominent  members  of  the  Cabinet,  with  the 
single  exception  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury, 
were  from  other  States.  Henceforward,  instead  of 
pretentious  leadership,  the  position  of  South  Caro 
lina  was  to  be  that  of  humble  obedience  to  the  new 
regime.  Nor  was  this  their  only  grievance.  Free 
trade  was  not  proclaimed ;  and  no  ordinance  was 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  125 

passed  to  re-open  the  African  slave-trade,  inasmuch 
as  it  would  destroy  the  domestic  slave-trade  and  the 
profits  of  slave-breeding  in  Virginia.  It  was  soon 
seen  that  the  associated  States  differed  widely  on  a 
great  many  vital  points.  One  of  these  related  to 
Indian  incursions  into  Texas.  The  Border  States, 
owing  to  the  withdrawal  of  the  United  States  forces, 
desired  large  appropriations  in  money,  for  the  pur 
pose  of  organizing  troops  to  guard  the  settlements 
from  Indian  incursions.  The  people  of  South  Car 
olina,  whose  burdens  were  already  very  great,  and 
who  were  advertising  in  vain  for  a  loan,  were  very 
unwilling  to  be  taxed  for  the  benefit  of  Texas  and 
Arkansas.  In  their  anger  at  these  untoward  events, 
the  proposition  was  freely  discussed  whether  it  would 
not  be  the  best  course  to  secede  from  the  Confedera 
cy  altogether,  and  place  themselves  under  a  British 
protectorate.  The  only  difficulty  in  the  way  seemed 
to  be  the  unwillingness  of  Great  Britain  to  act  as 
step-father  to  such  a  spoiled  child  as  South  Carolina. 
Virginia  had  not  yet  seceded.  She  still  professed 
neutrality,  but  allowed  a  brisk  trade  in  cannon  and 
ammunition  to  be  carried  on  with  the  South,  know 
ing  they  were  to  be  used  against  the  General  Gov 
ernment. 


126  REMINISCENCES  OF 

Anderson  now  expressed  himself  as  openly  opposed 
to  coercion.  He  was  in  favor  of  surrendering  all  the 
forts  to  the  States  in  which  they  were  located.  This 
course  would  simply  be  an  acknowledgment  that  the 
sovereignty  did  not  vest  in  the  United  States,  and 
would  have  led  to  nothing  but  disorder  and  disunion. 
He  said  if  his  native  State,  Kentucky,  seceded,  he 
should  throw  up  his  commission  and  go  to  Europe. 
The  fact  is,  as  I  have  stated,  he  was  a  strong  pro- 
slavery  man,  and  felt  bitterly  toward  the  Xorth  for 
not  carrying  out  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law.  He  con 
tended  that  slavery  was  right  in  principle,  and  ex 
pressly  sanctioned  by  the  Bible.  One  day,  while  we 
were  conversing  on  the  subject,  I  called  his  atten 
tion  to  the  fact  that  slavery  in  ancient  times  was  not 
founded  on  color ;  and  if  white  slavery  was  right,  I 
saw  no  reason  why  some  one  might  not  make  a  slave 
of  him,  and  read  texts  of  Scripture  to  him  to  keep 
him  quiet.  He  was  unable  to  answer  this  argument.* 

On  the  1st  of  March,  he  informed  the  General 
Government  that  he  had  no  doubt  we  would  soon  be 

*  It  is  due  to  the  major  to  state  that,  in  a  speech  made  before  the 
Board  of  Brokers  in  New  York,  on  the  13th  of  May,  he  asserted  that 
if  the  question  lay  between  the  preservation  of  the  Union  or  the  preser 
vation  of  slavery,  slavery  must  be  sacrificed. 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  127 

attacked.  The  communication,  however,  led  to  no 
comment  and  no  immediate  action. 

From  certain  circumstances,  I  saw  that  South  Car 
olina  not  only  intended  to  build  iron-clad  batteries, 
but  was  thinking  of  iron-clad  ships,  to  sink  our  wood 
en  navy,  and  at  some  future  time  capture  our  North 
ern  harbors. 

I  was  so  much  impressed  with  the  importance  of 
this  subject  that  I  felt  it  my  duty  to  call  attention 
to  it,  in  letters  to  Mr.  Curtis,  of  Missouri,  and  other 
members  of  Congress ;  but  no  one  at  the  North  seem 
ed  to  give  the  matter  a  second  thought,  or  imagine 
there  was  any  danger  to  be  apprehended  in  the  future. 
It  was  not  so  with  our  enemies.  They  were  fully 
alive  to  the  aggressive  power  it  would  give  them, 
and  they  commenced  to  experiment  by  building  an 
iron -clad  floating  battery,  which  was  to  be  plated 
deep  enough  to  resist  our  heaviest  metal.  When  fin 
ished,  it  was  to  be  anchored  off  the  gorge  of  Fort 
Surnter,  so  that  it  could  beat  down  our  main  gates, 
and  make  wide  breaches  in  the  walls  for  an  assault 
ing  party  to  enter.  This  battery  was  completed  on. 
the  3d  of  March ;  but  the  State  militia  had  a  great 
prejudice  against  it,  and  could  not  be  induced  to  man 
it.  They  christened  it "  The  Slaughter  Pen,"  and  felt 


128  REMINISCENCES  OF 

certain  it  would  go  to  the  bottom  the  moment  we 
opened  fire  upon  it.  Out  of  deference  to  public  opin 
ion,  it  was  tied  up  to  the  wharf  in  Monltrieville,  and 
took  part  from  that  position  in  the  final  bombard 
ment  of  Fort  Su inter. 

The  eventful  4th  of  March  had  now  arrived,  and 
with  it  a  new  President,  representing  the  patriotism 
and  vigor  of  the  great  North-west.  We  looked  for 
an  immediate  change  of  policy ;  but  it  was  some 
weeks  before  any  definite  action  was  taken  with  re 
gard  to  us.  This  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  when 
we  consider  that  a  large  proportion  of  the  employe's 
of  the  previous  Administration  were  disloyal  and 
treacherous,  while  the  new  appointments  could  not 
be  made  hastily,  on  account  of  the  tremendous  press 
ure  for  office,  and  the  difficulty  of  canvassing  the 
claims  of  so  many  rival  and  influential  candidates. 
If  Mr.  Lincoln  wrote  a  private  dispatch,  it  was  sure 
to  be  betrayed  to  the  enemy.  The  defection  in  the 
civil  service,  in  the  army,  and  navy,  was  so  great 
that,  if  he  gave  an  order,  he  was  always  in  doubt 
whether  it  would  be  faithfully  carried  out.  Gen 
eral  Cooper,  who  was  Adjutant -general  of  the 
army,  and  the  mouth -piece  of  the  Secretary  of 
War  and  of  the  Commander-in-chief,  was  himself 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  129 

a  rebel  at  heart,  and  soon  resigned  to  join  the  Con 
federacy. 

Enough,  however,  was  already  known  of  the  pol 
icy  of  the  Administration  to  cause  great  uneasiness 
in  Charleston.  The  feeling  there  was  very  gloomy 
at  the  prospect  of  real  war ;  for  almost  every  one 
had  persuaded  himself  that  the  new  President  would 
not  attempt  coercion,  but  would  simply  submit  to  the 
dismemberment  of  the  country,  and  make  the  best 
terms  he  could.  They  now  knew  they  would  be 
obliged  to  face  the  storm  they  had  raised,  and  they 
already  foresaw  great  sufferings  and  sacrifices  in  the 
future. 

On  the  5th,  Anderson  wrote  to  Washington  that 
he  needed  no  re-enforcement.  The  fact  is,  he  did 
not  want  it,  because  its  arrival  would  be  sure  to 
bring  on  a  collision,  and  that  was  the  one  thing  he 
wished  to  avoid. 

Mr.  Lincoln  soon  after  appointed  Simon  Cameron 
as  the  new  Secretary  of  War. 

On  the  7th,  an  accidental  shot,  fired  from  the 
battery  opposite,  struck  near  our  wharf.  The  enemy 
sent  a  boat  over  at  once  to  make  an  explanation. 

Our  men  were  dissatisfied  that  the  affair  ended 
in  nothing.  They  were  becoming  thoroughly  angry 

6* 


130  REMINISCENCES  OF 

and  disgusted  at  their  long  confinement,  and  at 
the  supervision  South  Carolina  exercised  over  them. 
One  and  all  desired  to  fight  it  out  as  soon  as  pos 
sible. 

After  consultation  with  Major  Anderson,  it  was 
deemed  impossible  at  Washington  to  succor  us  with 
out  sending  a  force  of  at  least  twenty  thousand  men 
to  storm  the  batteries  on  Morris  Island.  There  was 
a  time  when  these  works  could  have  been  easily  capt 
ured  ;  but  now,  with  the  North  full  of  spies,  any  at 
tempt  to  take  them  by  force  would  have  called  out 
all  the  available  strength  of  South  Carolina,  assist 
ed  by  volunteers  from  other  States.  On  the  10th,  it 
was  everywhere  published  that  the  Administration 
intended  to  withdraw  us;  but  no  admission  of  the 
kind  could  be  obtained  from  Mr.  Lincoln.* 

Learning  that  we  had  nothing  but  pork  and  hard 
biscuit  to  eat,  Mr.  Haight,  a  wealthy  gentleman  of 
New  York,  sent  us  several  boxes  of  delicacies.  The 
governor,  under  the  impression  we  were  soon  to  be 

*  About  this  time,  my  wife,  who  was  in  Washington,  was  very  much 
sin-prised  at  receiving  a  call  from  the  President.  He  came  quietly  to 
request  her  to  show  him  my  letters  from  Fort  Snmter,  so  that  he  might 
form  a  better  opinion  as  to  the  condition  of  affairs  there,  more  particu 
larly  in  regard  to  our  resources. 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  131 

withdrawn,  allowed  them  to  come  over.  They  were 
fully  appreciated. 

The  great  tobacconist,  John  Anderson,  of  New 
York,  also  sent  a  large  supply  of  the  best  quality  of 
tobacco,  having  learned  that  the  men  felt  the  loss  of 
their  smoking  more  than  any  thing  else. 

By  this  time  the  South  Carolina  treasury  was  in  a 
state  of  collapse.  A  loan  for  six  hundred  and  seven 
ty-five  thousand  dollars  was  freely  advertised,  but  no 
one  desired  to  invest.  The  city  trade,  however,  be 
gan  to  be  quite  brisk  again,  from  the  immense  influx 
of  sympathizing  strangers  that  poured  into  the  city 
to  see  the  preparations  for  war.  Goods,  too,  began 
to  come  in  from  all  quarters,  and  there  was  a  gleam 
of  prosperity. 

On  the  20th,  G.  W.  Lay,  one  of  General  Scott's 
aids,  who  had  resigned  on  the  2d  of  the  month,  came 
down  to  offer  his  services  to  Governor  Pickens.  He 
must  have  had  in  his  possession  much  valuable  mili 
tary  and  diplomatic  information,  to  which  his  late 
confidential  position  had  given  him  access. 

On  the  21st,  another  messenger,  Captain  G.V.Fox, 
United  States  Navy,  came  over  to  see  us.  Captain 
Hartstein,  who  was  an  ex-officer  of  our  navy,  and  an 
old  friend  of  Fox's,  was  sent  with  him,  to  be  within 


I32  REMINISCENCES  OF. 

ear-shot,  and  see  that  he  did  no  harm  to  the  Confed 
eracy.  Fox  had  an  excellent  plan  of  his  own  in  ref 
erence  to  us,  and  came  to  reconnoitre,  and  ascertain 
whether  it  was  practicable  to  carry  it  out ;  for  the 
President  had  now  fully  determined  not  to  with 
draw  us,  or  surrender  Fort  Sumter  without  an  effort 
to  hold  and  re-enforce  it.  Indeed,  there  came  up  an 
indignant  roar  from  the  great  North-west,  and  many 
parts  of  the  North,  that  could  not  be  disregarded 
with  impunity.  To  have  done  so  would  almost  have 
created  a  revolution. 

I  was  struck  by  one  modest  question  which  Hart- 
stein  put  to  me  on  this  occasion.  He  asked  if  I 
thought  Anderson  would  object  to  his  anchoring  the 
iron-plated  floating- battery  within  a  hundred  yards 
of  our  main  gates.  Upon  my  expressing  my  sur 
prise  at  such  an  audacious  proposal,  he  replied,  "An 
derson  has  allowed  these  batteries  to  be  built  around 
him,  and  has  permitted  so  many  things  to  be  done, 
that  I  don't  see  why  he  should  not  go  a  step  farther 
and  allow  this." 

On  the  22d,  we  learned  that  Beau  regard  had  as 
sumed  command  of  the  forces  opposite  to  us.  As  he 
had  just  left  our  army,  where  he  had  been  highly 
trusted  and  honored,  it  is  said  he  displayed  a  good 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  133 

deal  of  feeling  at  finding  himself  opposed  to  the  flag 
under  which  he  had  served  so  long.  He  expressed 
much  sympathy  for  his  old  friend,  Anderson,  who, 
he  stated,  was  merely  fulfilling  his  duty  as  a  soldier 
in  fighting  for  his  own  Government,  and  asserted  that 
he  would  not  attack  us,  even  if  we  withdrew  all  our 
sentinels,  but  would  force  us  to  surrender  by  cutting 
off  our  supplies. 

On  the  23d,  we  had  but  two  days'  regular  fuel 
left,  but  we  had  contrived  to  secure  and  utilize 
a  number  of  floating  logs  as  they  passed  the  fort, 
and  these  increased  the  amount  on  hand  to  some 
extent. 

Anderson  now  had  no  doubt  that  we  would  be 
withdrawn,  and  the  papers  all  gave  out  the  same 
idea.  Under  these  circumstances,  as  we  were  out 
of  fuel,  and  had  a  large  number  of  surplus  gun-car 
riages  on  hand  which  we  could  not  possibly  use,  and 
which  would  inevitably  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
enemy  when  we  left,  I  suggested  that  it  would  be 
good  policy  to  use  them  for  fire-wood,  especially  as 
many  of  them  were  decayed  and  worthless.  He 
would  not,  however,  consent  to  this.  Perhaps  he 
thought  fuel  at  six  hundred  dollars  a  cord  was  rath 
er  dear.  The  result  was  that  they  were  finally  all 


134  REMINISCENCES  OF 

turned  over  to  the  Confederacy,  with  the  other  pub 
lic  property  on  hand. 

On  the  25th,  Colonel  Ward  C.  Lamon,  the  former 
law-partner  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  came  over  to  visit  us  un 
der  charge  of  Colonel  Duryea,  of  Charleston.  It  was 
given  out  that  he  was  sent  as  an  agent  of  the  Gener 
al  Government  to  see  Governor  Pickens  in  relation 
to  post-office  matters ;  but  in  reality  he  came  to  con 
fer  with  Anderson,  and  ascertain  the  amount  of  pro 
visions  on  hand.  He  took  with  him  the  important 
information  that  our  food  would  be  out  by  the  mid 
dle  of  April. 

On  the  28th,  Beauregard  sent  a  message  of  some 
kind  to  Anderson.  I  do  not  know  its  purport. 
The  latter  stated  to  us  that  he  expected  decisive 
orders  from  Washington  on  the  29th,  but  none 
came. 

The  1st  of  April  arrived,  and  as  the  heavy  work 
of  mounting  guns,  etc.,  was  completed,  our  command 
er  thought  it  would  be  a  good  idea  to  send  off  the 
hired  laborers,  and  he  intrusted  Captain  Foster  to 
ask  permission  of  the  rebel  authorities  to  allow  them 
to  land.  The  request  was  granted,  and  all  left  with 
the  exception  of  a  few,  who  desired  to  remain  with 
us  and  share  our  fortunes.  Among  them  was  Mr. 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MO UL TRIE.  135 

William  O.  Lyman,  the  principal  overseer  of  the  ma 
sons,  a  brave  and  reliable  man. 

On  the  3d  of  April,  another  affair  occurred  similar 
to  that  of  the  Star  of  the  West.  The  schooner  R.H. 
Shannon,  of  Boston,  under  Captain  Mounts,  en  route 
for  Savannah  with  a  cargo  of  ice,  sailed  into  the  har 
bor  of  Charleston  on  account,  of  a  fog.  As  the  cap 
tain  did  not  read  the  papers,  he  did  not  know  that 
any  thing  unusual  was  going  on.  A  battery  on 
Morris  Island  fired  a  shot  across  the  bow  of  his  ves 
sel  to  bring  her  to.  Very  much  astonished  at  this 
proceeding,  he  ran  up  the  Stars  and  Stripes  to  show 
that  he  was  all  right.  This  was  regarded  as  a  direct 
defiance,  and  a  heavy  cannonade  was  at  once  open 
ed  on  the  vessel.  Very  much  puzzled  to  account 
for  this  hostility,  he  lowered  his  flag,  and  the  firing 
ceased.  A  boat's  crew  now  put  off  from  the  shore 
to  ascertain  his  character  and  purpose  in  entering  the 
harbor.  While  this  was  going  on,  we  were  formed 
at  our  guns,  in  readiness  to  fire,  but  were  not  allowed 
to  do  so,  although  there  was  every  probability  that 
the  vessel  would  be  sunk  before  our  eyes.  It  is  true 
we  could  not  have  reached  the  particular  battery  that 
was  doing  the  mischief ;  but  the  other  works  of  the 
enemy  were  all  under  our  guns,  and,  not  expecting 


136  REMINISCENCES  OF 

immediate  action,  were  in  a  measure  unprepared. 
Anderson,  however,  contented  himself  with  sending 
Seymour  and  Snyder  over  in  a  boat  with  a  white 
flag  to  ask  for  an  explanation,  with  the  usual  result : 
Lieutenant  Talbot  and  Lieutenant  Snyder  were  then 
sent  over  to  have  an  interview  with  the  governor  in 
relation  to  this  matter.  This  being  far  from  satis 
factory,  Lieutenant  Snyder  returned  to  Fort  Sumter, 
and  Lieutenant  Talbot  kept  on  his  way  to  Washing 
ton  with  dispatches. 

Although  this  affair  attracted  very  little  attention 
or  comment  at  the  North,  I  was  convinced,  from  the 
major's  depression  of  spirits,  that  it  acted  a  great  deal 
upon  his  mind.  He  evidently  feared  it  might  be 
considered  as  a  betrayal  of  his  trust,  and  he  was  very 
sensitive  to  every  thing  that  affected  his  honor. 

I  have  already  stated  the  reasons  for  his  inaction. 
In  amplifying  his  instructions  not  to  provoke  a  col 
lision  into  instructions  not  to  fight  at  all,  I  have  no 
doubt  he  thought  he  was  rendering  a  real  service  to 
the  country.  He  knew  the  first  shot  fired  by  us 
would  light  the  flames  of  a  civil  war  that  would  con 
vulse  the  world,  and  tried  to  put  off  the  evil  day  as 
long  as  possible.  Yet  a  better  analysis  of  the  situa 
tion  might  have  taught  him  that  the  contest  had  al- 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MO UL TRIE.  137 

ready  commenced,  and  could  no  longer  be  avoided. 
The  leaders  of  the  South  at  this  period  would  hardly 
have  been  satisfied  with  the  most  abject  submission 
of  the  anti-slavery  party  to  all  their  behests.  In  fact, 
every  concession  made  to  their  wishes  seemed  to 
them  to  be  dictated  by  the  weakness  of  the  Govern 
ment,  and  its  fears  of  internal  dissensions  and  civil 
war  in  all  the  great  cities  of  the  North.  They  need 
ed  blood  and  the  prestige  of  a  victory  to  rouse  the 
enthusiasm  of  their  followers,  and  cement  the  rising 
Confederacy.  They  wanted  a  new  and  powerful 
slave  empire,  extending  to  the  Isthmus  of  Panama, 
and  for  this  a  direct  issue  must  be  made  with  the 
free  States.  In  vain  did  a  member  of  Congress,  who 
afterward  became  a  distinguished  Union  general,  offer 
in  "Richmond  to  raise  an  army  of  twenty  thousand 
men  in  the  North  to  fight  the  abolitionists,  if  the 
South  would  consent  to  remain  in  the  Union.  Even 
this  was  not  deemed  sufficient  or  satisfactory.  Slav 
ery  had  so  long  dominated  every  thing  with  a  rod  of 
iron,  that  its  votaries  deemed  it  was  born  to  universal 
dominion.  All  the  pathways  to  political  power,  all 
the  avenues  of  promotion  in  the  army  and  navy,  lay 
in  that  direction.  General  Scott  was  accustomed  to 
say  that  "  with  Virginia  officers  and  Yankee  troops 


138  REMINISCENCES  OF 

he  could  conquer  the  world,"  and  this  implied  that 
slave-holders,  in  his  opinion,  were  the  only  men  fitted 
to  command. 

Washington  was  too  full  of  spies  for  the  rebel 
leaders  to  remain  in  ignorance  of  Lincoln's  inten 
tion  to  re-enforce  us.  On  the  6th  of  April,  Beaure- 
gard  restricted  our  marketing  to  two  days  in  the 
week.  On  the  Tth,  it  wTas  wholly  cut  off,  and  we  no 
ticed  gangs  of  negroes  hard  at  work  strengthening 
the  defenses  on  Morris  Island.  Every  thing  beto 
kened  that  the  conflict  would  soon  take  place.  An 
derson  was  greatly  troubled  at  the  failure  of  all  his 
plans  to  keep  the  place.  The  rebels  knew,  and  per 
haps  he  knew,  that  on  the  6th  and  7th  of  April  a 
number  of  naval  vessels  had  left  New  York  and  Nor 
folk  under  sealed  orders.  Their  destination  could 
hardly  be  doubted.  Lieutenant  Talbot  reached 
Washington  on  the  6th,  but  was  immediately  sent 
back  with  a  message  from  the  President  to  Govern 
or  Pickens,  notifying  the  latter  that  the  Government 
intended  to  provision  Fort  Sumter  at  all  hazards. 
This  formal  notice  was  given  by  the  President,  prob 
ably  because  he  considered  himself  bound  to  do  so 
before  putting  an  end  to  the  semi-pacific  code  which 
had  governed  Anderson's  intercourse  with  the  forces 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  139 

around  him  ever  since  the  departure  of  Hall  and 
Hayne  for  Washington. 

Talbot  delivered  his  message  on  the  8th.  Beau- 
regard  immediately  telegraphed  the  information  to 
the  rebel  Secretary  of  War,  at  Montgomery,  Ala 
bama,  and  received  orders  on  the  10th  to  open  fire 
at  once  upon  Fort  Sumter. 

I  think  it  was  on  the  9th  that  the  official  letter 
came,  notifying  Anderson  that  a  naval  expedition 
had  been  sent  to  our  relief,  and  that  he  must  co-oper 
ate  with  it  to  the  best  of  his  ability.  He  communi 
cated  this  information  to  us  on  the  10th,  but  desired 
it  should  be  kept  secret.  The  preparations  we  were 
obliged  to  make  told  the  men  plainly  enough,  how 
ever,  that  the  fighting  was  about  to  commence.  The 
news  acted  like  magic  upon  them.  They  had  pre 
viously  been  drooping  and  dejected;  but  they  now 
sprung  to  their  work  with  the  greatest  alacrity,  laugh 
ing,  singing,  whistling,  and  full  of  glee.  They  were 
overjoyed  to  learn  that  their  long  imprisonment  in 
the  fort  would  soon  be  at  an  end.  They  had  felt 
themselves  humiliated  by  the  open  supervision  which 
South  Carolina  exercised  over  us,  and  our  tame  sub 
mission  to  it.  It  was  very  galling  to  them  to  see 
the  revenue-cutter,  which  had  been  stolen  from  the 


140  REMINISCENCES  OF 

United  States,  anchored  within  a  stone's  cast  of  our 
walls,  to  watch  our  movements  and  overhaul  every 
thing  coining  to  or  going  from  the  fort,  including 
our  mail-boat. 

On  the  10th,  Beauregard  announced  his  personal 
staff  to  consist  of  Colonels  Wigfall,  Chestnut,  Means, 
M'Gowan,  Manning,  and  Boyleston. 

On  the  same  day,  a  house  directly  opposite  to  us 
in  Moultrieville,  at  the  nearest  point,  was  suddenly 
removed,  disclosing  a  formidable  masked  battery, 
which  effectually  enfiladed  two  rows  of  our  upper 
tier  of  guns  in  barbette,  and  took  a  third  tier  in  re 
verse.  It  was  a  sad  surprise  to  us,  for  we  had  our 
heaviest  metal  there.  I  set  to  work  immediately  to 
construct  sand-bag  traverses;  but  it  was  difficult  to 
make  much  progress,  as  we  had  no  bags,  and  were 
obliged  to  tear  up  sheets  for  the  purpose,  and  have 
the  pieces  sewed  together.  This  labor,  however, 
was  entirely  thrown  away,  for  Anderson  ordered  us 
to  abandon  all  the  guns  on  the  parapet.  This,  of1 
course,  was  much  less  dangerous  for  the  men,  but 
it  deprived  us  of  the  most  powerful  and  effective 
part  of  our  armament. 

About  3  P.M.  of  the  same  day,  a  boat  came  over 
with  Colonel  James  Chestnut,  Ex-United  States  Sen- 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  141 

ator,  and  Captain  Stephen  D.  Lee,  both  aids  of  Beau- 
regard.  They  bore  a  demand  for  the  surrender  of 
the  fort.  Anderson  politely  declined  to  accede  to 
this  request,  but  stated  in  conversation  he  would 
soon  be  starved  out.  This  gratuitous  information 
ought  never  to  have  been  given  to  the  enemy,  in 
view  of  the  fact  that  a  naval  expedition  was  on  its 
way  to  us.  It  was  at  once  supposed  that  Anderson 
desired  to  surrender  without  fighting;  and  about 
11  P.M.  another  boat  came  over,  containing  Colonel 
Chestnut,  Colonel  Pryor,  and  Captain  Lee,  to  inquire 
upon  what  day  he  would  be  willing  to  evacuate  the 
work  in  case  he  was  not  attacked.  The  answer  was, 
on  the  15th  at  noon,  provided  he  did  not  receive 
fresh  instructions,  or  was  not  relieved  before  that 
time.  As  we  had  pork  enough  on  hand  to  last  for 
two  weeks  longer,  there  was  no  necessity  for  fixing 
so  early  a  day.  It  left  too  little  margin  for  naval 
operations,  as,  in  all  probability,  the  vessels,  in  case  of 
any  accident  or  detention,  would  arrive  too  late  to 
be  of  service.  This  proved  to  be  the  case. 

The  enemy's  batteries  on  Sullivan's  Island  were 
so  placed  as  to  fire  directly  into  the  officers'  quarters 
at  Fort  Sumter;  and  as  OUT  rooms  would  necessa 
rily  become  untenable,  we  vacated  them,  and  chose 


142  REMINISCENCES  OF 

points  that  were  more  secure.  I  moved  my  bed 
into  a  magazine  which  was  directly  opposite  to  Cum- 
mings  Point,  and  which  was  nearly  empty.  As  I 
was  sensible  that  the  next  three  days  would  call  for 
great  physical  exertion  and  constant  wakefulness,  I 
endeavored  to  get  all  the  sleep  I  could  on  the  night 
of  the  llth.  About  4  A.M.  on  the  -12th,  I  was  awak 
ened  by  some  one  groping  about  my  room  in  the 
dark  and  calling  out  my  name.  It  proved  to  be 
Anderson,  who  came  to  announce  to  me  that  he 
had  just  received  a  dispatch  from  Beauregard,  dated 
3.20  A.M.,  to  the  effect  that  he  should  open  fire  upon 
ns  in  an  hour.  Finding  it  was  determined  not  to 
return  the  fire  until  after  breakfast,  I  remained  in 
bed.  As  we  had  no  lights,  we  could  in  fact  do  noth 
ing  before  that  time,  except  to  wander  around  in  the 
darkness,  and  fire  without  an  accurate  view  of  the 
enemy's  works. 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  143 


CHAPTER   X. 

THE    BOMBARDMENT. 

The  First  Shot. —Defective  Guns.— John  Carmody's  Exploit.— De 
structive  Effects  of  the  Bombardment. — Burning  of  the  Officers' 
Quarters. — Terrific  Conflagration. 

As  soon  as  the  outline  of  our  fort  could  be  distin 
guished,  the  enemy  carried  out  their  programme.  It 
had  been  arranged,  as  a  special  compliment  to  the 
venerable  Edmund  Ruffin,  who  might  almost  be  call 
ed  the  father  of  secession,  that  he  should  fire  the  first 
shot  against  us,  from  the  Stevens  battery  on  Cum- 
mings  Point,  and  I  think  in  all  the  histories  it  is 
stated  that  he  did  so ;  but  it  is  attested  by  Dr. 
Crawford  and  others  who  were  on  the  parapet  at  the 
time,  that  the  first  shot  really  came  from  the  mortar 
battery  at  Fort  Johnson.*  Almost  immediately  aft 
erward  a  ball  from  Cummings  Point  lodged  in  the 
magazine  wall,  and  by  the  sound  seemed  to  bury  it- 

*  I  have  since  learned  that  the  shell  from  Fort  Johnson  was  not  a 
hostile  shot,  but  was  simply  intended  as  a  signal  for  the  firing  to  com 
mence. 


144  REMINISCENCES  OF 

self  in  the  masonry  about  a  foot  from  my  head,  in 
very  unpleasant  proximity  to  my  right  ear.  This  is 
the  one  that  probably  came  with  Mr.  Ruffin's  com 
pliments.  In  a  moment  the  firing  burst  forth  in  one 
continuous  roar,  and  large  patches  of  both  the  ex 
terior  and  interior  masonry  began  to  crumble  and 
fall  in  all  directions.  The  place  where  I  was  had 
been  used  for  the  manufacture  of  cartridges,  and 
there  was  still  a  good  deal  of  powder  there,  some 
packed  and  some  loose.  A  shell  soon  struck  near 
the  ventilator,  and  a  puff  of  dense  smoke  entered  the 
room,  giving  me  a  strong  impression  that  there  would 
be  an  immediate  explosion.  Fortunately,  no  sparks 
had  penetrated  inside. 

Nineteen  batteries  were  now  hammering  at  us,  and 
the  balls  and  shells  from  the  ten -inch  columbiads, 
accompanied  by  shells  from  the  thirteen-inch  mortars 
which  constantly  bombarded  us,  made  us  feel  as  if 
the  war  had  commenced  in  earnest. 

When  it  was  broad  daylight,  I  went  down  to  break 
fast.  I  found  the  officers  already  assembled  at  one 
of  the  long  tables  in  the  mess-hall.  Our  party  were 
calm,  and  even  somewhat  merry.  We  had  retained 
one  colored  man  to  wait  on  us.  He  was  a  spruce- 
looking  mulatto  from  Charleston,  very  active  and 


FOR TS  SUMTER  AND  MO  UL  TRIE.  145 

efficient  on  ordinary  occasions,  but  now  completely 
demoralized  by  the  thunder  of  the  guns  and  crash 
ing  of  the  shot  around  us.  He  leaned  back  against 
the  wall,  almost  white  with  fear,  his  eyes  closed,  and 
his  whole  expression  one  of  perfect  despair.*  Our 
rneal  was  not  very  sumptuous.  It  consisted  of  pork 
and  water,  but  Dr.  Crawford  triumphantly  brought 
forth  a  little  farina,  which  he  had  found  in  a  corner 
of  the  hospital. 

When  this  frugal  repast  was  over,  my  company 
was  told  off  in  three  details  for  firing  purposes,  to 
be  relieved  afterward  by  Seymour's  company.  As  I 
was  the  ranking  officer,  I  took  the  first  detachment, 
and  marched  them  to  the  casemates,  which  looked 
out  upon  the  powerful  iron -clad  battery  of  Cum- 
rnings  Point. 

In  aiming  the  first  gun  fired  against  the  rebellion 
I  had  no  feeling  of  self-reproach,  for  I  fully  believed 
that  the  contest  was  inevitable,  and  was  not  of  our 
seeking.  The  United  States  was  called  upon  not 

*  In  this  he  was  an  exception  to  most  negroes.  Those  I  have  seen 
in  the  colored  regiments  in  Texas  have  shown  themselves  to  be  among 
the  best  and  most  reliable  men  in  the  service  for  operations  against  the 
Indians.  It  was  a  line  of  negroes  that  charged  over  the  torpedoes  at 
Mobile. 

7 


146  REMINISCENCES  OF 

only  to  defend  its  sovereignty,  but  its  right  to  exist 
as  a  nation.  The  only  alternative  was  to  submit  to 
a  powerful  oligarchy  who  were  determined  to  make 
freedom  forever  subordinate  to  slavery.  To  me  it 
was  simply  a  contest,  politically  speaking,  as  to  wheth 
er  virtue  or  vice  should  rule. 

My  first  shot  bounded  off  from  the  sloping  roof  of 
the  battery  opposite  without  producing  any  apparent 
effect.  It  seemed  useless  to  attempt  to  silence  the 
guns  there;  for  our  metal  was  not  heavy  enough  to 
batter  the  work  down,  and  .every  ball  glanced  harm 
lessly  off,  except  one,  which  appeared  to  enter  an  em 
brasure  and  twist  the  iron  shutter,  so  as  to  stop  the 
firing  of  that  particular  gun. 

I  observed  that  a  group  of  the  enemy  had  vent 
ured  out  from  their  intrenchments  to  watch  the  ef 
fect  of  their  fire,  but  I  sent  them  flying  back  to  their 
shelter  by  the  aid  of  a  forty-two-pounder  ball,  which 
appeared  to  strike  right  in  among  them. 

Assistant-surgeon  Crawford,  having  no  sick  in  hos 
pital,  volunteered  to  take  command  of  one  of  the  de 
tachments,  lie  and  Lieutenant  Davis  were  detailed 
at  the  same  time  with  me;  and  I  soon  heard  their 
guns  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  fort,  echoing  my 
own.  They  attacked  Fort  Moultrie  with  great  vigor. 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MO UL TRIE.  147 

Our  firing  now  became  regular,  and  was  answered 
from  the  rebel  guns  which  encircled  us  on  the  four 
sides  of  the  pentagon  upon  which  the  fort  was  built. 
The  other  side  faced  the  open  sea.  Showers  of  balls 
from  ten-inch  columbiads  and  forty  -  two  -  pounders, 
and  shells  from  thirteen  -  inch  mortars  poured  into 
the  fort  in  one  incessant  stream,  causing  great  flakes 
of  masonry  to  fall  in  all  directions.  When  the  im 
mense  mortar  shells,  after  sailing  high  in  the  air, 
came  down  in  a  vertical  direction,  and  buried  them 
selves  in  the  parade  -  ground,  their  explosion  shook 
the  fort  like  an  earthquake.* 

Our  own  guns  were  very  defective,  as  they  had  no 
breech-sights.  In  place  of  these,  Seymour  and  my- 

*  The  troops  and  defenses  on  Morris  Island  were  commanded  by 
Brigadier  -  general  James  W.  Simons.  The  artillery  was  under  the 
command  of  Colonel  Wilmot  G.  De  Saussure,  of  the  South  Carolina 
Artillery  Battalion. 

Sullivan's  Island  was  commanded  by  Brigadier-general  John  Dun- 
ovant,  formerly  an  officer  of  the  United  States  Army.  His  second 
in  command  was  Lieutenant-colonel  Eoswell  S.  Ripley,  of  the  South 
Carolina  Artillery  Battalion,  formerly  of  our  army. 

Major  N.  G.  Evans,  assistant  adjutant  -  general,  commanded  on 
James  Island. 

The  battery  at  Mount  Pleasant  was  under  the  command  of  Captain 
Robert  Martin,  of  the  South  Carolina  Infantry. 


148  REMINISCENCES  OF 

self  were  obliged  to  devise  notched  sticks,  which  an 
swered  the  purpose,  but  were  necessarily  very  imper 
fect. 

Our  fort  had  been  built  with  reference  to  the  pen 
etration  of  shot  when  the  old  system  of  smooth-bore 
guns  prevailed.  The  balls  from  a  new  Blakely  gun 
on  Cummings  Point,  however,  had  force  enough  to 
go  entirely  through  the  wall  which  sheltered  us,  and 
some  of  the  fragments  of  brick  which  were  knocked 
out  wounded  several  of  my  detachment.  None  were 
seriously  hurt  except  Sergeant  Thomas  Kirnan,  of 
my  company.  His  contusions  were  severe,  but  did 
not  keep  him  out  of  the  fight. 

After  three  hours'  firing,  my  men  became  exhaust 
ed,  and  Captain  Seymour  came,  with  a  fresh  detach 
ment,  to  relieve  us.  He  has  a  great  deal  of  humor 
in  his  composition,  and  said,  jocosely,  "Doubleday, 
what  in  the  world  is  the  matter  here,  and  what  is  all 
this  uproar  about  ?" 

I  replied,  "  There  is  a  trifling  difference  of  opinion 
between  us  and  our  neighbors  opposite,  and  we  are 
trying  to  settle  it." 

"  Very  well,"  he  said ;  "  do  you  wish  me  to  take  a 
hand?" 

I  said,  "  Yes,  I  would  like  to  have  you  go  in." 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  149 

"All  right,"  he  said.  "What  is  your  elevation, 
and  range  ?" 

I  replied,  "Five  degrees,  and  twelve  hundred 
yards." 

"  Well,"  he  said,  "  here  goes !"  And  he  went  to 
work  with  a  will. 

Part  of  the  fleet  was  visible  outside  the  bar  about 
half-past  ten  A.M.  It  exchanged  salutes  with  us,  but 
did  not  attempt  to  enter  the  harbor,  or  take  part  in 
the  battle.  In  fact,  it  would  have  had  considerable 
difficulty  in  finding  the  channel,  as  the  marks  and 
buoys  had  all  been  taken  up.  It  was  composed  orig 
inally  of  the  frigates  Pawnee,  under  Commodore 
Rowan  ;  the  Pocahontas,  under  Captain  Gillis ;  the 
Powhatan,  under  Captain  Mercer ;  the  steam  trans 
port  Baltic,  under  Captain  Fletcher ;  and,  I  believe, 
the  steam -tugs  Yankee,  Uncle  Ben,  and  another, 
which  was  not  permitted  to  leave  New  York.  The 
soldiers  on  board  consisted  of  two  hundred  and  fifty 
recruits  from  Governor's  Island,  under  command  of 
First  Lieutenants  E.  M.  K.  Hudson,  of  the  Fourth, 
and  Eobert  O.  Tyler,  of  the  Third  Artillery,  and  Sec 
ond  Lieutenant  A.  I.  Thomas,  of  the  First  Infantry. 

This  expedition  was  designed  by  Captain  Fox,  in 
consultation  with  G.  W.  Blunt,  William  H.  Aspin- 


150  REMINISCENCES  OF 

wall,  Russel  Sturges,  and  others.  After  the  event 
much  obloquy  was  thrown  upon  the  navy  because 
it  did  not  come  in  and  engage  the  numerous  batter 
ies  and  forts,  and  open  for  itself  a  way  to  Charles 
ton  ;  but  this  course  would  probably  have  resulted  in 
the  sinking  of  every  vessel. 

As  far  back  as  December  I  had  written  to  New 
York  that  it  was  very  difficult  for  a  gun  on  shore  to 
hit  a  small  boat  dancing  on  the  waves  in  the  day 
time,  and  at  night  it  is  almost  impossible.  I  suggest 
ed,  therefore,  that  we  might  be  re-enforced  and  pro 
visioned  by  means  of  a  number  of  small  boats,  sup 
plied  from  several  naval  vessels  as  a  base  of  opera 
tions.  The  same  idea  had  occurred  to  Captain  Fox ; 
and  on  the  present  occasion  he  had  brought  thirty 
launches  to  be  used  for  this  purpose.  They  were  to 
be  manned  by  three  hundred  sailors,  and  in  case  they 
were  assailed,  the  fleet  was  to  protect  them  as  far 
as  possible  by  its  guns.  Unfortunately,  the  different 
vessels  did  not  reach  the  rendezvous  together.  The 
Pawnee  and  Pocahontas  arrived  on  the  12th,  but 
lost  a  great  deal  of  time  in  waiting  for  the  Powha- 
tan,  which  contained  the  launches  and  other  arrange 
ments,  without  which  a  boat  expedition  could  not  be 
organized.  The  Powhatan  never  appeared,  having 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MO UL  TRIE.  151 

been  unexpectedly  detached,  by  order  of  the  Presi 
dent,  at  the  solicitation  of  Secretary  Seward,  and 
without  consultation  with  the  Navy  Department.  I 
think  the  Baltic  was  detained  by  running  upon  Rat 
tlesnake  Shoal.  The  steam-tug  Uncle  Ben  was  driv 
en  into  "Wilmington  by  a  storm,  and  the  Yankee  did 
not  make  its  appearance  until  the  15th.  The  ex 
pedition  was  thus  an  utter  failure.  Nevertheless,  a 
passing  schooner  was  purchased  and  loaded  up  with 
provisions  and  soldiers,  and  an  attempt  would  have 
been  made  to  run  in  on  the  night  of  the  13th,  but 
by  that  time  it  was  too  late.  The  fort  had  surren 
dered. 

Having  explained  this  matter,  we  will  now  resume 
the  narrative  of  our  operations.  For  the  next  three 
hours  a  vigorous  fire  was  kept  up  on  both  sides.  A 
great  many  shots  were  aimed  at  our  flag -staff,  but 
nearly  all  of  them  passed  above  the  fort  and  struck 
in  the  water  beyond.  I  think  we  succeeded  in  si 
lencing  several  guns  in  Fort  Moultrie,  and  one  or 
more  in  the  Stevens  battery. 

When  Seymour's  three  hours  were  up,  I  relieved 
him,  and  continued  the  firing.  As  our  balls  bounded 
off  the  sloping  iron  rails  like  peas  upon  a  trencher, 
utterly  failing  to  make  any  impression,  and  as  the 


152  REMINISCENCES  OF 

shot  from  the  Blakely  gun  came  clear  through  our 
walls,  Anderson  directed  that  the  men  should  cease 
firing  at  that  particular  place.  I  regretted  very  much 
that  the  upper  tier  of  guns  had  been  abandoned,  as 
they  were  all  loaded  and  pointed,  and  were  of  very 
heavy  calibre.  A  wild  Irish  soldier,  however,  named 
John  Carmody,  slipped  up  on  the  parapet,  and,  with 
out  orders,  fired  the  pieces  there,  one  after  another, 
on  his  own  account.  One  of  the  ten-inch  balls  so 
aimed  made  quite  an  impression  on  the  Cummings 
Point  battery;  and  if  the  fire  could  have  been  kept 
up,  it  might  possibly  have  knocked  the  iron- work  to 
pieces. 

After  my  detachment  had  abandoned  the  case 
mate  opposite  the  Blakely  gun,  to  my  great  aston 
ishment  the  battery  I  had  left  recommenced  firing.  I 
could  not  imagine  who  could  have  taken  our  places. 
It  seems  that  a  group  of  the  Baltimore  workmen  had 
been  watching  our  motions,  and  had  thus  learned  the 
duties  of  a  cannoneer.  In  spite  of  their  previous  de 
termination  not  to  take  part  in  the  fight,  they  could 
not  resist  the  fun  of  trying  their  hand  at  one  of  the 
guns.  It  was  already  accurately  pointed,  and  the 
ball  struck  the  mark  in  the  centre.  The  men  attrib 
uted  it  to  their  own  skill,  and  when  I  entered  they 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  153 

were  fairly  in  convulsions  of  laughter.  One  of  them, 
in  answer  to  my  question,  gasped  out,  "  I  hit  it  square 
in  the  middle."  After  this  first  attempt,  each  of 
them  was  desirous  of  trying  his  skill  at  aiming.  The 
result  was,  that  we  soon  had  them  organized  into  a 
firing-party. 

Finding  one  of  my  chests  had  been  left  in  the  of 
ficers'  quarters,  and  that  it  would  probably  be  knock 
ed  to  pieces  by  the  shells,  I  asked  the  mulatto,  who 
still  sat  back  against  the  wall,  apparently  asleep,  to 
bear  a  hand  and  help  me  bring  it  out.  He  opened 
his  eyes,  shook  his  head  dolefully,  and  said,  "  De  ma 
jor,  he  say,  I  muss  not  expose  myself." 

If  I  mistake  not,  Roswell  S.  Ripley,  formerly  a 
brevet  major  in  our  army,  fired  the  second  or  third 
shot  to  bring  down  the  flag  under  which  he  had 
served  for  so  many  years.  Ripley  was  born  in  Ohio, 
appointed  from  New  York,  and  educated  at  the  Mil 
itary  Academy.  He  had,  therefore,  even  on  the 
Southern  theory  of  State  rights,  no  necessary  affilia 
tion  with  the  South.  In  fact,  they  always  despised  a 
man  who  joined  them  to  fight  against  his  own  State. 
In  one  instance,  Jeff  Davis  himself  had  to  use  all  his 
influence  to  induce  the  Southern  troops  to  obey  one  of 
these.  Northern  generals.  Ripley  had  previously  been 


154  REMINISCENCES  OF 

engaged  as  an  agent  for  Sliarpe's  Arms  Company  in 
Europe ;  and,  having  been  unsuccessful  there,  came 
to  Charleston,  with  the  hope  of  repairing  his  shat 
tered  fortunes  by  selling  guns  to  South  Carolina. 
Through  the  influence  of  Colonel  Huger,  of  our  Ord 
nance  Department,  who  was  in  the  city  at  the  time, 
Eipley  failed  in  this,  and,  being  entirely  out  of  em 
ployment,  accepted  a  commission  from  the  Confed 
eracy  to  fight  against  his  old  comrades.  Being  a 
man  of  talent,  and  a  skillful  artillerist,  he  did  us  a 
great  deal  of  harm.  Like  all  Northern  converts,  he 
thought  it  necessary  to  be  overzealous  in  his  new  po 
sition,  to  do  away  with  the  suspicions  excited  by  his 
birth  and  education.  I  was  told  at  the  time  that  for 
this  purpose  he  took  pains  to  denounce  me  as  an 
Abolitionist,  and  to  recommend  that  I  be  hanged  by 
the  populace  as  soon  as  caught. 

The  firing  continued  all  day,  without  any  special 
incident  of  importance,  and  without  our  making 
much  impression  on  the  enemy's  works.  They  had 
a  great  advantage  over  us,  as  their  fire  was  concen 
trated  on  the  fort,  which  was  in  the  centre  of  the 
circle,  while  ours  was  diffused  over  the  circumfer 
ence.  Their  missiles  were  exceedingly  destructive 
to  the  upper  exposed  portion  of  the  work,  but  no  es- 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  155 

sential  injury  was  done  to  the  lower  casemates  which 
sheltered  us. 

Some  of  these  shells,  however,  set  the  officers'  quar 
ters  on  fire  three  times;  but  the  flames  were  prompt 
ly  extinguished  once  or  twice  through  the  exertions 
of  Peter  Hart,  whose  activity  and  gallantry  were 
very  conspicuous. 

The  night  was  an  anxious  one  for  us,  for  we 
thought  it  probable  that  the  launches,  filled  witli 
armed  men  from  the  fleet,  might  take  advantage  of 
the  darkness  to  come  in  with  provisions  and  sup 
plies.  Then,  too,  it  was  possible  that  the  enemy 
might  attempt  a  night  attack.  We  were  on  the 
alert,  therefore,  with  men  stationed  at  all  the  embra 
sures;  but  nothing  unusual  occurred.  The  batter 
ies  fired  upon  us  at  stated  intervals  all  night  long. 
We  did  not  return  the  fire,  having  no  ammunition  to 
waste. 

On  the  morning  of  the  13th,  we  took  our  breakfast 
— or,  rather,  our  pork  and  water — at  the  usual  hour, 
and  marched  the  men  to  the  guns  when  the  meal 
was  over. 

From  4:  to  6f  A.M.  the  enemy's  fire  was  very  spirit 
ed.  From  7  to  8  A.M.  a  rain  -  storm  came  on,  and 
there  was  a  lull  in  the  cannonading.  About  8  A.M. 


156  REMINISCENCES  OF 

the  officers'  quarters  were  ignited  by  one  of  Rip- 
ley's  incendiary  shells,  or  by  shot  heated  in  the  fur 
naces  at  Fort  Moultrie.  The  fire  was  put  out ;  but 
at  10  A.M.  a  mortar  shell  passed  through  the  roof, 
and  lodged  in  the  flooring  of  the  second  story,  where 
it  burst,  and  started  the  flames  afresh.  This,  too,  was 
extinguished;  but  the  hot  shot  soon  followed  each 
other  so  rapidly  that  it  was  impossible  for  us  to  con 
tend  with  them  any  longer.  It  became  evident  that 
the  entire  block,  being  built  with  wooden  partitions, 
floors,  and  roofing,  must  be  consumed,  and  that  the 
magazine,  containing  three  hundred  barrels  of  pow 
der,  would  be  endangered  ;  for,  even  after  closing  the 
metallic  door,  sparks  might  penetrate  through  the 
ventilator.  The  floor  was  covered  \vith  loose  pow 
der,  where  a  detail  of  men  had  been  at  work  manu 
facturing  cartridge  -  bags  out  of  old  skirts,  woolen 
blankets,  etc. 

While  the  officers  exerted  themselves  with  axes  to 
tear  down  and  cut  away  all  the  wood-wrork  in  the 
vicinity,  the  soldiers  were  rolling  barrels  of  powder 
out  to  more  sheltered  spots,  and  were  covering  them 
with  wet  blankets.  The  labor  was  accelerated  by 
the  shells  which  were  bursting  around  us;  for  Rip- 
ley  had  redoubled  his  activity  at  the  first  signs  of  a 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  157 

conflagration.  We  only  succeeded  in  getting  out 
some  ninety-six  barrels  of  powder,  and  then  we  were 
obliged  to  close  the  massive  copper  door,  and  await 
the  result.  A  shot  soon  after  passed  through  the  in 
tervening  shield,  struck  the  door,  and  bent  the  lock 
in  such  a  way  that  it  could  not  be  opened  again. 
We  were  thus  cut  off  from  our  supply  of  ammuni 
tion,  but  still  had  some  piled  up  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  guns.  Anderson  officially  reported  only  four 
barrels  and  three  cartridges  as  on  hard  when  we 
left. 

By  11  A.M.  the  conflagration  was  terrible  and  dis 
astrous.  One-fifth  of  the  fort  was  on  fire,  and  the 
wind  drove  the  smoke  in  dense  masses  into  the  angle 
where  we  had  all  taken  refuge.  It  seemed  impossi 
ble  to  escape  suffocation.  Some  lay  down  close  to 
the  ground,  with  handkerchiefs  over  their  mouths, 
and  others  posted  themselves  near  the  embrasures, 
where  the  smoke  was  somewhat  lessened  by  the 
draught  of  air.  Every  one  suffered  severely.  I 
crawled  out  of  one  of  these  openings,  and  sat  on  the 
outer  edge;  but  Ripley  made  it  lively  for  me  there 
with  his  case-shot,  which  spattered  all  around.  Had 
not  a  slight  change  of  wind  taken  place,  the  result 
might  have  been  fatal  to  most  of  us. 


158  REMINISCENCES  OF 

Our  firing  having  ceased,  and  the  enemy  being 
very  jubilant,  I  thought  it  would  be  as  well  to  show 
them  that  we  were  not  all  dead  yet,  and  ordered  the 
gunners  to  fire  a  few  rounds  more.  I  heard  after 
ward  that  the  enemy  loudly  cheered  Anderson  for 
his  persistency  under  such  adverse  circumstances. 

The  scene  at  this  time  was  really  terrific.  The 
roaring  and  crackling  of  the  flames,  the  dense  mass 
es  of  whirling  smoke,  the  bursting  of  the  enemy's 
shells,  and  our  own  which  were  exploding  in  the 
burning  rooms,  the  crashing  of  the  shot,  and  the 
sound  of  masonry  falling  in  every  direction,  made 
the  fort  a  pandemonium.  When  at  last  nothing  was 
left  of  the  building  but  the  blackened  walls  and 
smoldering  embers,  it  became  painfully  evident  that 
an  immense  amount  of  damage  had  been  done.  There 
was  a  tower  at  each  angle  of  the  fort.  One  of  these, 
containing  great  quantities  of  shells,  upon  which  we 
had  relied,  was  almost  completely  shattered  by  suc 
cessive  explosions.  The  massive  wooden  gates,  stud 
ded  with  iron  nails,  were  burned,  and  the  wail  built 
behind  them  was  now  a  mere  heap  of  debris,  so  that 
the  main  entrance  was  wide  open  for  an  assaulting 
party.  The  sally-ports  were  in  a  similar  condition, 
and  the  numerous  windows  on  the  gorge  side,  which 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MO UL TRIE.  159 

had  been  planked  up,  had  now  become  all  open  en 
trances. 

About  12.48  P.M.  the  end  of  the  flag-staff  was  shot 
down,  and  the  flag  fell.*  It  had  been  previously 
hanging  by  one  halliard,  the  other  having  been  cut 
by  a  piece  of  shell.  The  exultation  of  the  enemy, 
however,  was  short-lived.  Peter  Hart  found  a  spar 
in  the  fort,  which  answered  very  well  as  a  temporary 
flag-staff.  He  nailed  the  flag  to  this,  and  raised  it 
triumphantly  by  nailing  and  tying  the  pole  firmly  to 
a  pile  of  gun-carriages  on  the  parapet.  This  was  gal 
lantly  done,  without  undue  haste,  under  Seymour's  su 
pervision,  although  the  enemy  concentrated  all  their 
fire  upon  the  spot  to  prevent  Hart  from  carrying  out 
his  intention.  From  the  beginning,  the  rebel  gun 
ners  had  been  very  ambitious  to  shoot  the  flag  down, 
and  had  wasted  an  immense  number  of  shots  in  the 
attempt. 

While  the  battle  was  going  on,  a  correspondent 
of  the  New  York  Tribune,  who  was  in  Charleston, 
wrote  that  the  populace  were  calling  for  my  head. 
Fortunately,  I  was  not  there  to  gratify  them.  My 


*  It  is  claimed  that  this  shot  was  fired  by  Lieutenant  W.  C.  Preston, 
of  South  Carolina. 


160  REMINISCENCES  OF 

relations  with  the  gentlemen  of  Charleston  had  al 
ways  been  friendly.  The  enmity  of  the  mob  was 
simply  political,  and  was  founded  on  the  belief  that 
I  was  the  only  "  Black  Republican,"  as  they  termed 
it,  in  the  fort. 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MO UL TRIE.  161 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE  EVACUATION. 

Senator  Wigfall's  Volunteer  Mission. — Terms  of  Evacuation  Settled. 
— The  Question  of  Casualties  on  the  Other  Side. — Salute  to  the 
Flag. — Occupation  of  the  Fort  by  Southern  Troops. — Embarka 
tion. — Welcome  in  New  York. — Conclusion. 

THEEE  was  a  large,  first-class  wooden  hotel,  near 
the  shore,  on  Sullivan's  Island,  called  the  Moultrie 
House.  It  was  only  kept  open  during  the  summer, 
and  was  a  favorite  resort,  for  planters  and  others,  to 
enjoy  the  fresh  sea-breeze,  and  the  beautiful  drive 
up  the  beach  at  low  tide.  Since  the  rebel  occupa 
tion  of  Fort  Moultrie,  this  hotel  had  been  used  as  a 
depot  and  barracks  for  the  troops  in  the  vicinity. 
Just  before  the  attack  was  made  upon  us,  the  Pal 
metto  flag,  which  had  waved  over  the  building,  was 
taken  down ;  but  I  noticed  with  a  spy-glass  that  there 
was  still  quite  a  number  of  people,  apparently  troops, 
remaining  in  the  house.  I  saw  no  reason  why  the 
mere  lowering  of  the  flag  should  prevent  us  from  fir 
ing  at  them.  I  therefore  aimed  two  forty-two  pound- 


1 62  REMINISCENCES  OF 

er  balls  at  the  upper  story.  The  crashing  of  the  shot, 
which  went  through  the  whole  length  of  the  building 
among  the  clapboards  and  interior  partitions,  must 
have  been  something  fearful  to  those  who  were  with 
in.  They  came  rushing  out  in  furious  haste,  and 
tumbled  over  each  other  until  they  reached  the  bot 
tom  of  the  front  steps,  in  one  writhing,  tumultuous 
mass. 

When  we  left  Fort  Sumter,  a  South  Carolina  of 
ficer,  who  seemed  to  feel  aggrieved  in  relation  to 
this  matter,  asked  me  why  we  fired  at  that  building. 
Not  caring  to  enter  into  a  discussion  at  that  time,  I 
evaded  it  by  telling  him  the  true  reason  was,  that 
the  landlord  had  given  me  a  wretched  room  there 
one  night,  and  this  being  the  only  opportunity  that 
had  occurred  to  get  even  with  him,  I  was  unable  to 
resist  it.  He  laughed  heartily,  and  said,  "  I  under 
stand  it  all  now.  You  were  perfectly  right,  sir,  and  I 
justify  the  act." 

About  2  P.M.,  Senator  Wigfall,  in  company  with 
W.  Gourdin  Young,  of  Charleston,  unexpectedly 
made  his  appearance  at  one  of  the  embrasures,  hav 
ing  crossed  over  from  Morris  Island  in  a  small  boat, 
rowed  by  negroes.  He  had  seen  the  flag  come  down, 
and  supposed  that  we  had  surrendered  in  consequence 


FORTS  SUMTER   AND  MO UL TRIE.  163 

of  the  burning  of  the  quarters.  This  visit  was  sanc 
tioned  by  the  commander  of  Morris  Island,  Briga 
dier-general  James  W.  Simons.  An  artillery-man, 
serving  his  gun,  was  very  much  astonished  to  see  a 
man's  face  at  the  entrance,  and  asked  him  what  he 
was  doing  there.  Wigfall  replied  that  he  washed  to 
see  Major  Anderson.  The  man,  however,  refused  to 
allow  him  to  enter  until  he  had  surrendered  himself 
as  a  prisoner,  and  given  up  his  sword.  This  done,  an 
other  artillery-man  was  sent  to  bring  an  officer.  Lieu 
tenant  Davis  came  almost  immediately,  but  it  took 
some  time  to  find  Anderson,  who  was  out  examining 
the  condition  of  the  main  gates.  I  was  not  present 
during  this  scene,  or  at  the  interview  that  ensued,  as 
I  was  engaged  in  trying  to  save  some  shells  in  the 
upper  story  from  the  effects  of  the  fire.  Wigfall,  in 
Beau  regard's  name,  offered  Anderson  his  own  terms, 
which  were,  the  evacuation  of  the  fort,  with  permis 
sion  to  salute  our  flag,  and  to  march  out  with  the  hon 
ors  of  war,  with  our  arms  and  private  baggage,  leav 
ing  all  other  war  material  behind.  As  soon  as  this 
matter  was  arranged,  Wigfall  returned  to  Cummings 
Point. 

In  the  mean  time,  Beauregard  having  noticed  the 
white  flag,  sent   a  boat   containing  Colonel  James 


1 64  REMINISCENCES  OF 

Chestnut,  and  Captain  Lee,  Colonel  Koger  A.  Pryor, 
and  Colonel  William  Porcher  Miles,  to  ascertain  the 
meaning  of  the  signal.  A  second  boat  soon  followed, 
containing  Major  D.  K.  Jones,  who  was  Beauregard's 
adjutant -general,  Ex-Governor  J.  L.  Manning,  and 
Colonel  Charles  Alston. 

Miles  and  Pryor  were  exceedingly  astonished  when 
they  heard  that  Wigfall  had  been  carrying  on  nego 
tiations  in  Beauregard's  name,  and  stated  that,  to 
their  certain  knowledge,  he  had  had  no  communica 
tion  with  Beauregard.  They  spoke  of  the  matter 
with  great  delicacy,  for  Wigfall  was  a  parlous  man, 
and  quick  to  settle  disputed  points  with  the  pistol. 
Anderson  replied  with  spirit  that,  under  the  circum 
stances,  he  would  run  up  his  flag  again,  and  resume 
the  firing.  They  begged  him,  however,  not  to  take 
action  until  they  had  had  an  opportunity  to  lay  the 
whole  subject  before  General  Beauregard ;  and  An 
derson  agreed  to  wait  a  reasonable  time  for  that  pur 
pose.  The  boat  then  returned  to  the  city.  In  due 
time  another  boat  arrived,  containing  Colonels  Chest 
nut  and  Chisholm,  and  Captain  Stephen  D.  Lee,  all 
aids  of  Beauregard.  They  came  to  notify  Major  An 
derson  that  the  latter  was  willing  to  treat  with  him 
on  the  basis  proposed.  Colonel  Charles  Alston  soon 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  165 

came  over  with  Major  Jones  (who  was  chief -of-staff 
to  Beauregard,  and  adjutant-general  of  the  Provis 
ional  Army),  to  settle  the  details  of  the  evacuation. 
There  was  some  difficulty  about  permitting  us  to  sa 
lute  our  flag ;  but  that,  too,  was  finally  conceded.  In 
case  we  held  out  for  another  day,  the  rebels  had  made 
arrangements  to  storm  the  fort  that  night. 

During  all  these  operations,  our  officers  and  men 
behaved  with  great  gallantry.  Hall,  Snyder,  and 
JVleade  had  never  been  under  fire  before,  but  they 
proved  themselves  to  be  true  sons  of  their  Alma  Ma 
ter  at  West  Point. 

The  first  contest  of  the  war  was  over,  and  had 
ended  as  a  substantial  victory  for  the  Secessionists. 
They  had  commenced  the  campaign  naked  and  de 
fenseless  ;  but  the  General  Government  had  allowed 
them  time  to  levy  an  army  against  us,  and  we  had 
permitted  ourselves  to  be  surrounded  with  a  ring  of 
fire,  from  which  there  was  no  escape.  Nor  had  we 
employed  to  the  fullest  extent  all  our  available 
means  of  defense.  No  attempt  had  ever  been  made 
to  use  the  upper  tier  of  guns,  which  contained  our 
heaviest  metal,  and  which,  from  its  height,  overlook 
ed  the  enemy's  works,  and  was,  therefore,  the  most 
efficient  part  of  our  armament.  Although  the  fire 


1 66  REMINISCENCES  OF 

of  our  columbiads,  under  ordinary  circumstances, 
could  not  quite  reach  the  city,  we  had  arranged  one 
of  them  to  point  upward  at  the  maximum  angle.  As 
the  carriage  would  not  admit  of  this,  the  gun  was 
taken  off,  and  made  to  rest  on  a  bed  of  masonry. 
Seymour  and  myself  thought,  by  loading  it  with  ec 
centric  shells,  we  could  increase  the  range  of  the  guns 
so  that  the  balls  would  reach  that  part  of  Charleston 
which  was  nearest  to  us;  but  we  were  not  allowed 
to  use  the  gun  at  all.  It  seemed  to  me  there  was  a 
manifest  desire  to  do  as  little  damage  as  possible. 

About  eighteen  hundred  shot  had  been  fired  into 
Fort  Sumter,  and  the  upper  story  was  pretty  well 
knocked  to  pieces.  To  walk  around  the  parapet,  we 
had  constantly  to  climb  over  heaps  of  debris.  With 
all  this  expenditure  of  ammunition,  we  had  but  one 
man  dangerously  wounded.  This  was  John  Schwei- 
rer,  foreman  of  the  Baltimore  brick-layers.  He  was 
struck  by  a  piece  of  shell  while  standing  near  the 
open  parade-ground.  So  long  as  our  men  fought  in 
the  lower  casemates,  which  were  shell-proof,  the  ver 
tical  fire  could  not  reach  them ;  and  by  drilling  them 
to  step  one  side  of  the  embrasure  whenever  they  saw 
the  flash  of  a  gun  opposite,  they  escaped  the  danger 
of  being  struck  by  any  ball  which  might  enter  the 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  167 

opening ;  so  that,  on  the  whole,  they  ran  very  little 
risk.  Had  they  used  the  guns  on  the  parapet,  the 
number  of  casualties  would  have  been  greatly  in 
creased,  but  our  missiles  would  have  been  much 
more  effective. 

When  William  Porcher  Miles  was  about  to  enter 
the  boat  to  return  to  Charleston,  he  told  our  com 
mander  that  none  of  the  secession  soldiers  were  in 
jured  by  our  fire.  Anderson  raised  his  hands  and 
ejaculated,  "  Thank  God  for  that !"  As  the  object 
of  our  fighting  was  to  do  as  much  damage  as  possi 
ble,  I  could  see  no  propriety  in  thanking  Heaven  for 
the  small  amount  of  injury  we  had  inflicted.  I  have 
since  had  reason  to  suspect,  from  several  circum 
stances,  that  the  contest  was  not  as  bloodless  as  it 
was  represented  to  be  at  the  time.  The  coxswain 
of  the  boat  that  brought  Miles  over  heard  him  make 
the  remark  that  no  one 'was  hurt  on  the  rebel  side. 
The  man  stared  at  him  for  a  moment  in  undisguised 
amazement,  and  then  stepped  aside  behind  an  angle 
of  the  work,  where  he  could  indulge  in  a  hearty  fit 
of  laughter.  His  whole  action  was  that  of  one  who 
thought  his  chief  had  been  indulging  in  romance. 
Of  course  Miles  believed  the  assertion,  or  he  would 
not  have  made  it. 


1 68  REMINISCENCES  OF 

The  fact  is,  Fort  Moultrie  was  all  slivered  and 
knocked  to  pieces;  and  as  I  heard  so  much  in  ref 
erence  to  the  narrow  escapes  of  officers  and  soldiers 
there,  I  concluded  that,  if  no  one  was  hurt,  a  miracle 
must  have  taken  place.  The  rebel  who  carried  dis 
patches  between  Fort  Moultrie  and  Mount  Pleasant 
in  a  small  boat  was  in  a  position  to  know,  and  he  told 
Peter  Hart,  some  years  after  the  war,  that  a  schoon 
er,  to  his  certain  knowledge,  came  from  Charleston 
during  the  battle,  and  took  off  a  number  of  killed 
from  Fort  Moultrie,  who  were  taken  to  Potter's  Field, 
on  Cooper  Kiver,  and  buried  there  on  Saturday,  at 
4J  A.M.  I  had  previously  seen  the  same  story  pub 
lished  as  coming  from  Charleston.  A  similar  state 
ment  was  made,  on  his  arrival  in  New  York,  by  the 
mate  of  the  schooner  D.  B.  Pitts,  and  it  purported 
to  be  founded  on  his  own  observation. 

When  we  left  Fort  Surater  for  New  York,  a  man 
of  my  company,  named  Fielding,  was  seriously  in 
jured  by  an  explosion,  and  left  behind  in  the  hospi 
tal  at  Charleston.  He  was  frequently  visited  there 
by  an  old  comrade,  named  Galloway,  who  was  one 
of  our  discharged  soldiers.  Galloway  laughed  at  the 
idea  that  no  one  had  been  injured,  and  told  Fielding 
that  he  himself  had  served  in  Fort  Moultrie  during 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  169 

the  bombardment,  and  had  seen  with  his  own  eyes  a 
number  of  killed  and  wounded  there.  If  Galloway's 
story  is  true,  Ripley  may  have  concealed  his  losses, 
as  he  did  not  wish  to  have  us  appear  more  successful 
than  he  had  been.  I  believe  there  were  a  great  many 
Irish  laborers  enlisted  in  Fort  Moultrie,  and  their  loss 
would  hardly  have  excited  a  remark  in  aristocratic 
Charleston.  It  is  said,  too,  that  a  list  of  killed  and 
wounded  was  posted  up  on  a  bulletin-board  in  the 
city,  and  afterward  torn  down,  for  fear  that  it  might 
discourage  the  troops.  On  the  other  hand,  the  asser 
tion  of  men  holding  high  official  position  on  the  oth 
er  sfde,  that  no  one  was  killed  or  injured,  would  seem 
to  leave  little  room  for  doubt. 

When  Beauregard  received  notice  that  Anderson 
was  willing  to  ratify  the  terms  agreed  upon,  he  sent 
over  another  boat,  containing  Colonel  Miles,  Colonel 
Pryor,  Ex-Governor  Manning,  Major  Jones,  and  Cap 
tain  Hartstein,  to  arrange  the  details  of  the  evacua 
tion. 

Almost  a  fatal  accident  occurred  to  Roger  A.  Pry 
or  shortly  after  his  arrival  in  the  fort.  He  was  sit 
ting  in  the  hospital  at  a  table,  with  a  black  bottle 
and  a  tumbler  near  his  right  hand.  The  place  was 
quite  dark,  having  been  built  up  all  around  with 

8 


1 70  REMINISCENCES  OF 

boxes  of  sand,  to  render  it  shell-proof.  Being  thirsty, 
and  not  noticing  what  he  did,  he  mechanically  pick 
ed  up  the  bottle,  poured  some  of  the  liquid  into  the 
glass,  and  drank  it  down.  It  proved  to  be  iodide  of 
potassium,  which  is  quite  a  poisonous  compound. 
When  I  saw  him,  he  was  very  pale,  and  leaning  on 
the  shoulder  of  Dr.  Crawford,  who  was  taking  him 
out  on  the  grass  to  apply  the  stomach-pump.  He 
was  soon  out  of  danger.  Some  of  us  questioned  the 
doctor's  right  to  interpose  in  a  case  of  this  kind.  It 
was  argued  that  if  any  rebel  leader  chose  to  come 
over  to  Fort  Sumter  and  poison  himself,  the  Medical 
Department  had  no  business  to  interfere  with  such  a 
laudable  intention.  The  doctor,  however,  claimed, 
with  some  show  of  reason,  that  he  himself  was  held 
responsible  to  the  United  States  for  the  medicine  in 
the  hospital,  and  therefore  he  could  not  permit  Pryor 
to  carry  any  of  it  away. 

All  of  the  preliminaries  having  been  duly  adjusted, 
it  was  decided  that  the  evacuation  should  take  place 
the  next  morning.  Our  arrangements  were  few  and 
simple,  but  the  rebels  made  extensive  preparations 
for  the  event,  in  order  to  give  it  the  greatest  eclat, 
and  gain  from  it  as  much  prestige  as  possible.  The 
population  of  the  surrounding  country  poured  into 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MO UL TRIE.  17 1 

Charleston  in  vast  multitudes,  to  witness  the  humili 
ation  of  the  United  States  flag.  We  slept  soundly 
that  night  for  the  first  time,  after  all  the  fatigue  and 
excitement  of  the  two  preceding  days. 

The  next  morning,  Sunday,  the  14th,  we  were  up 
early,  packing  our  baggage  in  readiness  to  go  on 
board  the  transport.  The  time  having  arrived,  I 
made  preparations,  by  order  of  Major  Anderson,  to 
fire  a  national  salute  to  the  flag.  It  was  a  dangerous 
thing  to  attempt,  as  sparks  of  fire  were  floating  around 
everywhere,  and  there  was  no  safe  place  to  deposit 
the  ammunition.  In  that  portion  of  the  line  com 
manded  by  Lieutenant  Hall,  a  pile  of  cartridges  lay 
under  the  muzzle  of  one  of  the  guns.  Some  fire  had 
probably  lodged  inside  the  piece,  which  the  sponging 
did  not  extinguish,  for,  in  loading  it,  it  went  off  pre 
maturely,  and  blew  off  the  right  arm  of  the  gunner, 
Daniel  Hough,  who  was  an  excellent  soldier.  His 
death  was  almost  instantaneous.  He  was  the  first 
man  who  lost  his  life  on  our  side  in  the  war  for  the 
Union.  The  damage  did  not  end  here,  for  some  of 
the  fire  from  the  muzzle  dropped  on  the  pile  of  cart 
ridges  below,  and  exploded  them  all.  Several  men 
in  the  vicinity  were  blown  into  the  air,  and  seriously 
injured.  Their  names  were  George  Fielding,  John 


172  REMINISCENCES   OF 

Irwin,  George  Pinchard,  and  Edwin  Galway,  and,  I 
think,  James  Hayes.  The  first -named  being  very 
badly  hurt,  was  left  behind,  to  be  cared  for  by  the 
rebels.  He  was  sent  over  to  Charleston,  where  he 
was  well  treated,  finally  cured,  and  forwarded  to  us 
without  being  exchanged. 

The  salute  being  over,  the  Confederate  troops 
inarched  in  to  occupy  the  fort.  The  Palmetto  Guard, 
Captain  Cuthbert's  company,  detailed  by  Colonel 
De  Saussure,  and  Captain  Hollinquist's  Company  B, 
of  the  regulars,  detailed  by  Colonel  Eipley,  consti 
tuted  the  new  garrison  under  Ripley.*  Anderson  di 
rected  me  to  form  the  men  on  the  parade-ground,  as 
sume  command,  and  march  them  on  board  the  trans 
port.  I  told  him  I  should  prefer  to  leave  the  fort 
with  the  flag  flying,  and  the  drums  beating  Yankee 
Doodle,  and  he  authorized  me  to  do  so.  As  soon  as 
our  tattered  flag  came  down,  and  the  silken  banner 
made  by  the  ladies  of  Charleston  was  run  up,  tre 
mendous  shouts  of  applause  were  heard  from  the 

*  Edmund  Ruffin  entered  the  fort  as  a  volunteer  ensign  of  the  Pal 
metto  Guard ;  Captain  Samuel  Ferguson  received  the  keys  of  Fort 
Sumter,  and  raised  the  Confederate  flag  over  the  ramparts ;  Lieuten 
ant-colonel  F.  J.  Moses  raised  the  State  flag.  Moses  has  since  fig 
ured  as  the  Republican  governor  of  South  Carolina. 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MO UL TRIE.  173 

vast  multitude  of  spectators;  and  all  the  vessels  and 
steamers,  with  one  accord,  made  for  the  fort.  Cor 
poral  Bringhurst  came  running  to  tell  me  that  many 
of  the  approaching  crowd  were  shouting  my  name, 
and  making  threatening  demonstrations.  The  dis 
order,  however,  was  immediately  quelled  by  the  ap 
pearance  of  Hartstein,  an  ex-officer  of  our  navy,  wrho 
threw  out  sentinels  in  all  directions,  and  prevented 
the  mob  from  landing. 

The  bay  was  alive  with  floating  craft  of  every  de 
scription,  filled  with  people  from  all  parts  of  the 
South,  in  their  holiday  attire.  As  I  marched  out  at 
the  head  of  our  little  band  of  regulars,  it  must  have 
presented  a  strange  contrast  to  the  numerous  forces 
that  had  assailed  us ;  some  sixty  men  against  six 
thousand.  As  we  went  on  board  the  Isabel,  with  the 
drums  beating  the  national  air,  all  eyes  were  fixed 
upon  us  amidst  the  deepest  silence.  It  was  an  hour 
of  triumph  for  the  originators  of  secession  in  South 
Carolina,  and  no  doubt  it  seemed  to  them  the  cul 
mination  of  all  their  hopes ;  but  could  they  have 
seen  into  the  future  with  the  eye  of  prophecy,  their 
joy  might  have  been  turned  into  mourning.  Who 
among  them  could  have  conceived  that  the  Charles 
ton  they  deemed  so  invincible,  which  they  boasted 


174  REMINISCENCES  OF 

would  never  be  polluted  by  the  footsteps  of  a  Yan 
kee  invader  until  every  son  of  the  soil  had  shed  the 
last  drop  of  his  blood  in  her  defense  —  who  could 
have  imagined  that  this  proud  metropolis,  after  much 
privation  and  long-suffering  from  fire  and  bombard 
ment,  would  finally  surrender,  without  bloodshed,  to 
a  negro  regiment,  under  a  Massachusetts  flag — the 
two  most  abhorred  elements  of  the  strife  to  the 
proud  people  of  South  Carolina?  Who  could  have 
imagined  that  the  race  they  had  so  despised  was  des 
tined  to  govern  them  in  the  future,  in  the  dense  ig 
norance  which  the  South  itself  had  created,  by  pro 
hibiting  the  education  of  the  blacks? 

My  story  is  nearly  done.  We  soon  reached  the 
Baltic,  and  were  received  with  great  sympathy  and 
feeling  by  the  army  and  navy  officers  present. 
Among  the  latter  was  Captain  Fox,  who  afterward 
became  the  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Na\-y. 

It  is  worthy  of  remark  that,  after  we  had  left  the 
harbor,  Bishop  Lynch,  of  Charleston,  threw  the  Cath 
olic  influence  in  favor  of  the  Secessionists  by  cele 
brating  the  Southern  victory  by  a  grand  Te  Deum. 

We  arrived  in  New  York  on  the  19th,  and  were 
received  with  unbounded  enthusiasm.  All  the  pass 
ing  steamers  saluted  us  with  their  steam-whistles  and 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  175 

bells,  and  cheer  after  cheer  went  up  from  the  ferry 
boats  and  vessels  in  the  harbor.  We  did  not  attempt 
to  land,  but  came  to  anchor  in  the  stream,  between 
Governor's  Island  and  the  Battery.  Several  distin 
guished  citizens  at  once  came  on  board,  and  Major 
Anderson  was  immediately  carried  off  to  dine  with 
Mr.  Lloyd  Aspinwall.  As  somebody  had  to  remain 
with  the  troops  and  attend  to  their  wants,  I  accom 
panied  them  to  Fort  Hamilton,  where  we  soon  found 
ourselves  in  comfortable  quarters.  Nearly  all  of  the 
officers  obtained  a  furlough  immediately ;  but  I  re 
mained  in  command  of  the  fort  during  the  tempora 
ry  absence  of  Major  Anderson,  who  was  soon  after 
permanently  detached  from  us. 

Our  captivity  had  deeply  touched  the  hearts  of 
the  people,  and  every  day  the  number  of  visitors  al 
most  amounted  to  an  ovation.  The  principal  city 
papers,  the  Tribune,  Times,  Herald,  and  Evening 
Post,  gave  us  a  hearty  welcome.  For  a  long  time 
the  enthusiasm  in  New  York  remained  undimin- 
ished.  It  was  impossible  for  us  to  venture  into  the 
main  streets  without  being  ridden  on  the  shoulders 
of  men,  and  torn  to  pieces  by  hand-shaking.  Shortly 
after  our  arrival,  Henry  Ward  Beecher  came  down 
to  the  fort  to  meet  us,  and  made  a  ringing  speech, 


176  REMINISCENCES  OF 


of  fire  and  patriotism.  It  seemed  as  if  every 
one  of  note  called  to  express  his  devotion  to  the 
cause  of  the  Union,  and  his  sympathy  with  us,  who 
had  been  its  humble  representatives  amidst  the  per 
ils  of  the  first  conflict  of  the  war. 

As  I  have  stated,  of  the  officers  who  were  engaged 
in  the  operations  herein  narrated,  but  four  now  sur 
vive. 

George  W.  Snyder  was  the  first  to  leave  us.  He 
was  present  in  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  attained  the 
brevet  of  captain,  and  died  in  Washington,  District 
of  Columbia,  on  the  17th  of  November,  1861. 

Theodore  Talbot  became  assistant-adjutant-gener 
al,  with  the  rank  of  major,  and  died  on  the  22d  of 
April,  1862,  also  in  "Washington. 

Richard  K.  Meade  was  induced,  by  the  pressure 
of  social  and  family  ties,  to  resign  his  commission  in 
our  army.  He  became  a  rebel  officer,  and  died  at 
Petersburg,  Virginia,  in  July,  1862. 

Norman  J.  Hall  became  colonel  of  the  Seventh 
Michigan  Volunteers,  and  received  three  brevets  in 
the  regular  army,  the  last  being  for  gallant  and  dis 
tinguished  services  at  Gettysburg.  He  died  on  the 
26th  of  May,  1867,  at  Brooklyn,  New  York. 

John  L.  Gardner  received  the  brevet  of  brigadier- 


FORTS  SUMTER  AND  MOULTRIE.  177 

general,  and  was  retired  at  the  commencement  of  the 
war.  He  died  at  Wilmington,  Delaware,  on  the  19th 
of  February,  1869. 

Robert  Anderson  was  made  a  brigadier -general, 
and  afterward  a  brevet  major-general,  for  his  serv 
ices  at  Fort  Snmter.  He  served  about  six  months 
as  Commander  of  the  Department  of  Kentucky  and 
of  the  Cumberland,  and  was  then  obliged  to  leave 
the  field  in  consequence  of  ill  health.  He  was  re 
tired  from  active  service  on  the  27th  of  October, 
1863,  and  died  at  Nice,  in  France,  on  the  26th  day 
of  October,  1871. 

Lastly,  John  GK  Foster,  after  a  brilliant  career  as 
commander  of  a  department  and  army  corps,  died  at 
Nashua,  New  Hampshire,  September  2d,  1874. 

Each  of  us  who  survive  became  major-general 
during  the  rebellion,  and  each  now  holds  the  same 
grade  by  brevet  in  the  regular  army. 

Mr.  Edward  Moale,  the  citizen  who  remained  with 
ns,  did  excellent  service  in  the  war.  At  present  he 
is  a  brevet  lieutenant-colonel  in  the  regular  army. 

This  statement  of  events  was  completed  at  New 
York,  April  14th,  1875,  on  the  fourteenth  anniversa 
ry  of  the  evacuation  of  Fort  Surnter. 

8* 


APPENDIX. 


List  of  Officers  and  Enlisted  Men  present  at  the  Bombardment  of 
Fort  Sumter,  April  12th  and  13^,  1861. 


COMMISSIONED  OFFICERS. 

Major  ROBERT  ANDERSON,  First  United  States  Artillery. 

Captain  ABNER  DOUBLEDAY,  First  United  States  Artillery. 

Captain  TRUMAN  SEYMOUR,  First  United  States  Artillery. 

First  Lieutenant  JEFFERSON  C.  DAVIS,  First  United  States  Artillery. 

Second  Lieutenant  NORMAN  J.  HALL,  First  United  States  Artillery. 

Captain  J.  G.  FOSTER,  United  States  Engineers. 

Lieutenant  G.  W.  SNYDER,  United  States  Engineers. 

Lieutenant  R.  K.  MEADE,  United  States  Engineers. 

Assistant  Surgeon  S.  W.  CRAWFORD,  United  States  Army. 


ENLISTED  MEN. 

Ordnance-sergeant  James  Kearney,  United  States  Army. 
Quartermaster-sergeant  William  H.  Hammer,  First  United  States  Ar 
tillery. 

Regimental  Band,  First  Artillery. 


Sergeant  James  E.  Gal  way. 
Corporal  Andrew  Smith. 
Private  Andrew  Murphy. 
"      Fedeschi  Onoratti. 


Private  Peter  Rice. 
"       Henry  Schmidt, 
"       John  Urquhart. 
"      Andrew  Wickstroni. 


Company  E,  First  Artillery. 


First  Sergeant  Eugene  Scheibner. 
Sergeant  Thomas  Kirnan. 

"       William  A.  Harn. 

"       James  Chester. 


Corporal  Owen  M'Guire. 
"        Francis  J.  Oakes. 
**        Charles  Bringhurst. 
"        Henry  Ellerbrook. 


iSo 


APPENDIX. 


Musician  Charles  Hall. 
Private  Philip  Anderman. 

"       John  Erail  Noack. 

"      Cornelius  Baker. 

"      Thomas  Carroll. 

"       Patrick  Clancy. 

"      John  Davis. 

"      James  Digdam. 

"       George  Fielding. 

"      Edward  Gallway. 

"      James  Gibbons. 

"      James  Hays. 

Company  H, 

First  Sergeant  John  Renehan. 
Sergeant  James  M'Mahon. 
"        John  Carmody. 
«*        John  Otto. 
Corporal  Christopher  Costolan. 
Musician  Robert  Foster. 
Artificer  Henry  Strandt. 
Private  Edward  Brady. 

"      Barney  Cain. 

"      John  Doran. 

'*      Dennis  Johnson. 

"      John  Kehoe. 

"      John  Klein. 

"      John  Lanagan. 

"      Frederick  Lintner. 

"      John  Magill. 


Private  Daniel  Hongh. 

"  John  Irwin. 

"  James  M 'Donald. 

"  Samuel  Miller. 

"  John  Newport. 

"  George  Pinch ard. 

"  Frank  Rivers. 

"  Lewis  Schroeder. 

"  Carl  A.  Sellman. 

"  John  Thompson. 

"  Charles  H.  Tozer. 

"  William  Witzman. 

First  Artillery. 

Private  John  Laroche. 

"  Frederick  Meier. 

"  James  Moore. 

"  William  Morter. 

"  Patrick  Neilan. 

"  John  Nixon. 

"  Michael  O'Donald. 

"  Robert  Roe. 

"  William  Walker. 

u  Joseph  Wall. 

"  Edmond  Walsh. 

41  Henry  R.  Walter. 

"  Herman  Will. 

*'  Thomas  Wishnowski. 

*'  Casper  Wutterpel. 


List  of  Mechanics  and  Employe's  present  in  Fort  Sumter  during  the 
Bombardment,  April  12th  and  13th,  1861. 

EMPLOYES  OF  THE  ENGINEER  DEPARTMENT. 


George  Coons,  mason. 
John  Schweirer,    " 
John  Buckley,  smith. 


John  Lindsay, carpenter. 
John  Saxton,  rigger. 
James  Tweedle,  smith. 


Wm.  O.  Lyman,  overseer. 


APPENDIX. 


181 


Michael  Berne. 
John  Burns. 
John  Branley. 
Peter  Caine. 
Patrick  Conner. 
Michael  Cummins. 
William  Dorsey. 
Edward  Davis. 
Patrick  Donahoe. 
Peter  Donley. 
William  Eagen. 
Andrew  Felton. 
Michael  Goff. 
James  Hewlett. 
Patrick  Heeney. 
Andrew  Lindsey. 

Samuel  Abraze. 


LABORERS. 

Dennis  Magrath. 
John  M'Carty. 
James  M'Mahon. 
Michael  Meechins. 
Thomas  Murphy. 
Thomas  Myers. 
William  Powers. 
Edward  Quinn. 
Patrick  Quinn. 
Martin  Rafferty. 
John  Riley. 
Michael  Ryan. 
Jeremiah  Ryan. 
James  Ryan. 
James  Shea. 

COOKS. 

|  Patrick  Walsh. 


The  following  is  taken  from  a  South  Carolina  official  document,  but 
it  seems  somewhat  defective  in  detail : 

List  of  Confederate  Batteries  constructed  with  a  View  to  the  Reduc 
tion  of  Fort  Sumter. 


ON  MORRIS  ISLAND. 

Brigadier-general  JAMBS  W.  SIMONS,  commanding ;  Colonel  WILMOT 
G.  DE  SAUSSURE,  commanding  Artillery  Battalion.  Lieutenant  J. 
R.  MACBETH,  Captain  J.  JONES,  and  Lieutenant  F.  L.  CHILDS, 
acting  as  aids  to  Colonel  DE  SAUSSURE. 


STEVENS  BATTERY.     (Ffred  1200  shots.) 

Three  Eight-inch  columbiads. 

Garrisoned  by  the  Palmetto  Guard,  Captain  GEORGE  B.  CUTHBERT 
commanding;  Lieutenant  G.  L.  BUIST.  The  ammunition  was 
served  out  by  Mr.  PHILIPS  and  Mr.  CAMPBELL.  One  gun  was  dis 
abled  on  Friday. 


182  APPENDIX. 


CUMMINGS  POINT  BATTERY. 
Two  forty-two-pounders,  three  ten-inch  mortars,  one  Blakely  gun. 

Garrisoned  by  a  detachment  of  the  Palmetto  Guard,  and  by  cadets 
from  the  Citadel  Academy  in  Charleston.  Captain  J.  P.  THOMAS, 
of  the  Citadel  Academy,  commanding  Blakely  gun  ;  Lieutenant  C. 
R.  HOLMES,  of  the  Citadel  Academy,  commanding  mortars ;  Lieu 
tenant  W.  W.  ARMSTRONG,  of  the  Citadel  Academy,  at  the  mortars  ; 
Second  Lieutenant  THOMAS  SUMTER,  of  the  Palmetto  Guard,  in 
charge  of  the  forty-two-pounders. 


CHANNEL  BATTERY.    (Did  not  fire.) 

Captain  CALHOUN,  commanding;  First  Lieutenant  A.  M.WAGNER; 
Lieutenant SITGREAVES  ;  Second  Lieutenant  M.  C.  PRESTON. 


ON  JAMES  ISLAND. 

Major  N.  G.  EVANS,  A.  A.  G.,  commanding. 

BATTERY  OP  TWENTY-FOUR-POUNDERS. 
Captain  GEORGE  S.  JAMES,  commanding. 

MORTAR  BATTERY. 

First  Lieutenant  W.  H.  GIBBES,  of  the  Artillery ;  Lieutenant  H.  S. 
FARLEY;  Lieutenant  J.  E.  M'PHERSON,  Washington;  Lieutenant 
T.  B.  HAYNE  ;  Doctor  LIBBY. 

UPPER  BATTERY.    (Fired  2425  shots.) 
Two  ten-inch  mortars. 

LOWER  BATTERY. 

Two  ten-inch  mortars. 

Captain  S.  C.  TIIAYER,  of  the  S.  C.  Navy,  commanding. 


ON  SULLIVAN'S  ISLAND. 

Brigadier -general  JOHN  DUNOVANT,  commanding.     Lieutenant- col 
onel  KOSWELL  S.  RIPLEY,  commanding  the  Artillery;  Captain  J. 


APPENDIX.  183 


B.  BURNS,  of  General  DUNOVANT'S  staff;  Surgeons  P.  J.  ROBIN 
SON,  R.  F.  MITCHELL,  and  ARTHUR  LYNCH  ;  Assistant  -  surgeons 
D.  W.  TAYLOR,  Doctor  F.  F.  MILES,  Doctor  F.  L.  PARKER. 

THE  IRON-CLAD-  FLOATING  BATTERY.  (At  the  Cove.  Fired  1900  shots.) 
Two  forty-two-pounders.  Two  thirty-two-pounders. 

Garrisoned  by  Company  D,  of  the  Artillery.  Captain  JAMES  HAM 
ILTON;  First  Lieutenant  J.  A.  YATES,  Second  Lieutenant  F.  H. 
HARLESTON. 

THE  DAHLGREN  BATTERY.    (Near  the  Floating  Battery.) 

One  nine-inch  Dahlgfen  gun. 

Garrisoned  by  Company  D,  of  the  Artillery.  Captain  S.  R.  HAMIL 
TON  ;  Mr.  JOHN  WELLS. 

THE  ENFILADE  BATTERY.    (Fired  1825  shots.) 

Garrisoned  by  Company  K,  of  the  Artillery,  Captain  JAMES  H.  HAL- 
LONQUIST,  Company  B,  of  the  Artillery,  commanding ;  First  Lieu 
tenant  J.  VALENTINE,  B.  S.  BURNETT. 

MORTAR  BATTERY,  NO.  1.    (Between  Fort  Moultrie  and  the  Cove.) 
Captain  JAMES  H.  HALLONQUIST,  Company  B,  of  the  Artillery,  com 
manding.     Lieutenant  O.  BLANDING,  Lieutenant  FLEMING. 


FORT  MOULTRIE.     (Fired  1825  shots.) 
Three  eight-inch  co/umbiads,  two  thirty-two-pounders,  four  twenty- 

four-pounders. 

Garrisoned  by  the  Artillery  Battalion  under  Lieutenant-colonel  RIP- 
LEY.  Captain  W.  R.  CALHOUN,  Company  A,  of  the  Artillery,  ex 
ecutive  officer. 

SUMTER  BATTERY.    (Facing  south-south-west.) 

Lieutenant  ALFRED  RHETT,  Company  B,  Artillery,  commanding; 
Second  Lieutenant  JOHN  MITCHELL,  Jun. ;  Mr.  F.  D.  BLAKE,  Vol 
unteer  Engineer. 

OBLIQUE  BATTERY.    (On  the  west.) 

Two  twenty -four-pounders. 
Lieutenant  C.  W.  PARKER,  Company  D,  of  the  Artillery. 


1 84  APPENDIX. 


MORTAR  BATTERY,  No.  2.    (East  of  Fort  Moultrie.) 
Two  ten-inch  mortars. 

Captain  WILLIAM  BUTLER,  of  the  Infantry ;  Lieutenant  J.  A.  HUGE- 
NIN.  E.  MOWRY,  Mr.  BLOCKER,  Mr.  BILLINGS,  and  Mr.  RICE  as 
sisted.  This  battery  was  joined  to  the  Maffit  Channel  Battery. 

THE  TRAPIER  BATTERY.    (Fired  1300  shots.) 

Three  ten-inch  mortars. 

Garrisoned  by  the  Marion  Artillery,  J.  GADSDEN  KING,  commanding. 
Lieutenant  W.  D.  II.  KIRKWOOD,  J.  P.  STROHECKER,  A.  M.  Hc- 
GER,  E.  L.  PARKER.  The  Marion  Artillery  was  afterward  relieved 
by  the  Sumter  Guard,  under  Captain  JOHN  RUSSELL, 


AT   MOUNT   PLEASANT. 
BATTERY.    (Fired  2925.  shots.) 

Two  ten-inch  mortars. 

Cnptain  ROBERT  MARTIN  of  the  Infantry,  commanding ;  Lieutenant 
G.  N.  REYNOLDS,  Company  B,  of  the  Artillery ;  Lieutenant  I).  S. 
CALHOUN,  of  the  Infantry. 


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FLAMMARION'S  ATMOSPHERE.  The  Atmosphere.  Translated  from  the 
French  of  CAMILLE  FLAMMARION.  Edited  by  JAMKS  GLAISUER,  F.R.S., 
Superintendent  of  the  Magnetics!  and  Meteorological  Department  of  the 
Royal  Observatory  at  Greenwich.  With  10  Chromo-Lithographs  and  86 
Woodcuts.  8vo,  Cloth,  $6  00. 

HUDSON'S  HISTORY  OF  JOURNALISM.  Journalism  in  the  United  States, 
from  1690  to  18*2.  By  FREDERICK  HUDSON.  Crown  8vo,  Cloth,  $5  00. 

PIKE'S  SUB-TROPICAL  RAMBLES.  Sub-Tropical  Rambles  in  the  Land 
of  the  Aphanapteryx.  By  NICOLAS  J?IKK,  U.  S.  Consul,  Port  Louis, 
Mauritius.  Profusely  Illustrated  from  the  Author's  own  Sketches  ;  con 
taining  also  Maps  and  Valuable  Meteorological  Charts.  Crown  8vo, 
Cloth,  $3  50. 

TRISTRAM'S  THE  LAND  OF  MOAB.  The  Result  of  Travels  and  Discov 
eries  on  the  East  Side  of  the  Dead  Sea  and  the  Jordan.  By  H.B.  TRIS 
TRAM,  M.A.,  LL.D.,  F.R.S.,  Master  of  the  Greatham  Hospital,  and  Hon. 
C-inon  of  Durham.  With  a  Chapter  on  the  Persian  Palace  of  Mashita, 
by  JA*S.  FERGUSON,  F.R.S.  With  Map  and  Illustrations.  Crown  8vo, 
Cloth,  $2  50. 

SANTO  DOMINGO,  Past  and  Present;  with  a  Glance  at  Hayti.  By  SAMUEL 

HAZARD.    Maps  and  Illustrations.     Crown  Svo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 
LIFE   OF  ALFRED  COOKMAN.    The  Life  of  the  Rev.  Alfred  Cookman; 

with  some  Account  of  his  Father,  the  Rev.  George  Grimston  Cookman. 

By  HENRY  B.  RIDGAWAY,  D.D.    Witn  an  Introduction  by  Bishop  FOSTER, 

LL.D.    Portrait  on  Steel.     12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

HERVEY'S  CHRISTIAN  RHETORIC.  A  System  of  Christian  Rhetoric, 
for  the  Use  of  Preachers  and  Other  Speakers.  By  GEORGE  WINFRED 
HERVKY,  M.A.,  Author  of  "  Rhetoric  of  Conversation,"  &c.  Svo,  Cloth, 
$350. 

CASTELAR'S  OLD  ROME  AND  NEW  ITALY.  Old  Rome  and  New  Italy. 
By  EMILIO  CASTELAE.  Translated  by  Mrs.  ARTHUR  ARNOLD.  12mo. 
Cloth,  $1  75. 

THE  TREATY  OF  WASHINGTON:  Its  Negotiation,  Execution,  and  tho 
Discussions  Relating  Thereto.  By  CALEB  CUSHING.  Crown  Svo,  Cloth, 


PRIME'S  I  GO  A-FISHING.   I  Go  a-Fishing.    By  W.  C.  PRIME,   Crown  Svo, 

Cloth,  $2  50. 
HALLOCK'S  FISHING  TOURIST.    The  Fishing  Tourist:  Angler's  Guide 

and  Reference   Book.    By  CHARLKS  HALLOCK.    Illustrations.    Crown 

Svo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 
SCOTT'S  AMERICAN  FISHING.    Fishing  in  American  Waters.    By  Gn 

NIO  C.  SCOTT.    With  170  Illustrations.    Crown  Svo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 


2          Harper  &>  Brothers'  Valuable  and  Interesting  Works. 

ANNUAL  RECORD  OF  SCIENCE  AND  INDUSTRY  FOR  1874.  Edited 
by  Prof.  Si'KNOEii  F.  BAIUD,  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  with  the  As 
sistance  of  Eminent  Men  of  Science.  12mo,  over  700  pp.,  Cloth,  $2  oo. 
(Uniform  with  the  Annual  Record  of  Science  and  Industry  for  1S71, 
1872,  and  1873.  12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00.) 

COL.  FORNEY'S  ANECDOTES  OF  PUBLIC  MEN.  Anecdotes  of  Public 
Men.  By  JOHN  W.  FORNEY.  12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

MISS  BEECHER'S  HOUSEKEEPER  AND  HEALTHKEEPER:  Contain 
ing  Five  Hundred  Recipes  for  Economical  and  Healthful  Cooking;  also, 
many  Directions  for  securing  Health  and  Happiness.  Approved  by  Phy 
sicians  of  all  Classes.  Illustrations.  12mo,  Cloth,  $1  50. 

FARM  BALLADS.  By  WILL  CARLETON.  Handsomely  Illustrated.  Square 
8vo,  Ornamental  Cloth,  $2  00 ;  Gilt  Edges,  $2  50. 

POETS  OF  THE  NINETEENTH  CENTURY.  The  Poets  of  the  Nine 
teenth  Century.  Selected  and  Edited  by  the  Rev.  ROBERT  Auis  WILL- 
MOTT.  With  English  and  American  Additions,  arranged  by  EVERT  A. 
DUYOKINOK,  Editor  of  "  Cyclopaedia  of  American  Literature."  Compris 
ing  Selections  from  the  Greatest  Authors  of  the  Age.  Superbly  Illus 
trated  with  141  Engravings  from  Designs  by  the  most  Eminent  Artists. 
In  elegant  small  4to  form,  printed  on  Superfine  Tinted  Paper,  richly 
bound  in  extra  Cloth,  Beveled,  Gilt  Edges,  $5  00 ;  Half  Calf,  $5  60 ;  Full 
Turkey  Morocco^  $9  00. 

THE  REVISION  OF  THE  ENGLISH  VERSION  OF  THE  NEW  TESTA 
MENT.  With  an  Introduction  by  the  Rev.  P.  SOIIAFF,  D.D.  C18  pp., 
Crown  Svo,  Cloth,  $3  00. 

Thia  work  embraces  in  one  volume : 

I.  ON  A  FRESH  REVISION  OF  THE  ENGLISH  NEW  TESTA 
MENT.  By  J.  B.  LIGHT-FOOT,  D.D.,  Canon  of  St.  Paul's,  and  Hul- 
sean  Professor  of  Divinity,  Cambridge.  Second  Edition,  Revised. 
196  pp. 

II.  ON  THE  AUTHORIZED  VERSION  OF  THE  NEW  TESTA 
MENT  in  Connection  with  some  Recent  Proposals  for  its  Revision. 
By  RICHARD  CIIENKVIX  TRENCH,  D.D.,  Archbishop  of  Dublin.  1D4  pp. 
III.  CONSIDERATIONS  ON  THE  REVISION  OF  THE  ENGLISH 
VERSION  OF  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT.  By  C.  J.  EI.I.IOJ>TT,  D.D., 
Bishop  of  Gloucester  and  Bristol.  178  pp. 

NORDHOFF'S  CALIFORNIA.  California:  For  Health,  Pleasure,  and' Res 
idence.  A  Book  for  Travelers  and  Settlers.  Illustrated.  Svo,  Paper, 
$2  00  ;  Cloth,  $2  50. 

MOTLEY'S  DUTCH  REPUBLIC.  The  Rise  of  the  Dutch  Republic.  By 
JOHN  LOTHROP  MOTLEY,  LL.D.,  B.C.L.  With  a  Portrait  of  William  of 
Orange.  3  vols.,  Svo,  Cloth,  $10  50. 

MOTLEY'S  UNITED  NETHERLANDS.  History  of  the  United  Nether 
lands:  from  the  Death  of  William  the  Silent  to  the  Twelve  Years'  Truce 
—1609.  With  a  full  View  of  the  English-Dutch  Struggle  against  Spain, 
and  of  the  Origin  and  Destruction  of  the  Spanish  Armada.  By  JOHN 
LOTHROP  MOTLEY,  LL.D.,  D.C.L.  Portraits.  4  vols.,  Svo,  Cloth,  $14  00. 

NAPOLEON'S  LIFE  OF  CAESAR.  The  History  of  Julius  Caesar.  By  His 
late  Imperial  Majesty  NAPOLEON  III.  Two  Volumes  ready.  Library  Edi 
tion,  Svo,  Cloth,  &)  50  per  vol. 

HAYDN'S  DICTIONARY  OF  DATES,  relating  to  all  Ages  and  Nations. 
For  Universal  Reference.  Edited  by  BENJAMIN  VINCENT,  Assistant  Secre 
tary  and  Keeper  of  the  Library  of  the  Royal  Institution  of  Great  Britain  ; 
and  Revised  for  the  Use  of  American  Readers.  Svo,  Cloth,  $5  00 ;  Sheep, 
$6  00. 

MACGREGOR'S  ROB  ROY  ON  THE  JORDAN.  The  Rob  Roy  on  the 
Jordan,  Nile,  Red  Sea,  and  Genne«areth,  &c.  A  Canoe  Cruise  in  Pales 
tine  and  Egypt,  and  the  Waters  of  Damascus.  By  J.  MAOQRKGOU,  M.A, 
With  Maps"  and  Illustrations.  Crown  Svo,  Cloth,  $2  50. 


Harper  6°  Brothers'  Vahiable  and  Interesting  Works.  3 

WALLACE'S  MALAY  ARCHIPELAGO.  The  Malay  Archipelago:  the 
Land  of  the  Orang-Utan  and  the  Bird  of  Paradise.  A  Narrative  of  Trav 
el,  1854-18(52.  With  Studies  of  Man  and  Nature.  By  ALFKKD  RURSEL 
WALLACE.  With  Teu  Maps  aud  Fifty-one  Elegant  Illustrations.  Crown 
8vo,  Cloth,  $2  50. 

WHYMPER'S  ALASKA.  Travel  and  Adventure  in  the  Territory  of  Alas 
ka,  formerly  Russian  America — now  Ceded  to  the  United  States— aud  in 
various  other  parts  of  the  North  Pacific.  By  FKKDEHIOK  WUYMPEE 
With  Map  and  Illustrations.  Crown  Svo,  Cloth,  $2  50. 

ORTON'S  ANDES  AND  THE  AMAZON.  The  Andes  and  the  Amazon  ;  or, 
Across  the  Continent  of  South  America.  By  JAMES  OKTON,  M.A.,  PIT.' 
fessor  of  Natural  History  in  Vassar  College,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  and 
Corresponding  Member  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  Philadel 
phia.  With  a  New  Map  of  Equatorial  America  and  numerous  Illustra 
tions.  Crown  Svo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

WINCHELL'S  SKETCHES  OF  CREATION.  Sketches  of  Creation:  a 
Popular  View  of  some  of  the  Grand  Conclusions  of  the  Sciences  in  ref 
erence  to  the  History  of  Matter  and  of  Life.  Together  with  a  Statement 
of  the  Intimations  of  Science  respecting  the  Primordial  Condition  and 
the  Ultimate  Destiny  of  the  Earth  aud  the  Solar  System.  By  ALEXAN 
DER  WINCUELL,  LL.D.,  Chancellor  of  the  Syracuse  University.  With 
Illustrations.  12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

WHITE'S  MASSACRE  OF  ST.  BARTHOLOMEW.  The  Massacre  of  St. 
Bartholomew :  Preceded  hy  a  History  of  the  Religious  Wars  in  the  Reign 
of  Charles  IX.  By  HENKY  WHITE,  M.A.  With  Illustrations.  Svo,  Cloth, 
$1  75. 

LOSSING'S  FIELD-BOOK  OF  THE  REVOLUTION.  Pictorial  Field-Book 
of  the  Revolution  ;  or,  Illustrations,  by  Pen  and  Pencil,  of  the  History, 
Biography,  Scenery,  Relics,  and  Traditions  of  the  War  for  Independ 
ence.  By  BKNSON  J.  LOSSING.  2  vols.,  Svo,  Cloth,  $14  00 ;  Sheep,  $15  00; 
Half  Calf,  $18  00 ;  Full  Turkey  Morocco,  $22  00. 

LOSSING'S  FIELD-BOOK  OF  THE  WAR  OF  1812.  Pictorial  Field-Book 
of  the  War  of  1812  ;  or,  Illustrations,  by  Pen  and  Pencil,  of  the  History, 
Biography,  Scenery,  Relics,  and  Traditions  of  the  Last  War  for  Ameri 
can  Independence.  By  BENSON  J.  LOSBING.  With  several  hundred  En 
gravings  on  Wood,  by  Lossing  and  Barritt,  chiefly  from  Original  Sketch 
es  by  the  Author.  10S8  pages,  Svo,  Cloth,  $7  00;  Sheep,  $8  50;  Half 
Calf,  $10  00. 

ALFORD'S  GREEK  TESTAMENT.  The  Greek  Testament:  with  a  crit 
ically  revised  Text;  a  Digest  of  Various  Readings;  Marginal  References 
to  Verbal  and  Idiomatic  Usage;  Prolegomena  ;  and  a  Critical  and  Exe- 
getical  Commentary.  For  the  Use  of  Theological  Students  and  Minis 
ters.  By  HKNHY  AI/FORP,  D.D.,  Dean  of  Canterbury.  Vol.  I.,  contain 
ing  the  Four  Gospels.  944  pages,  Svo,  Cloth,  $6  00;  Sheep,  $6  50. 

ABBOTT'S  FREDERICK  THE  GREAT.  The  History  of  Frederick  the 
Second,  called  Frederick  the  Great.  By  JOIIN  S.  C.  ABBOTT.  Elegantly 
Illustrated.  Svo,  Cloth,  $5  00. 

ABBOTT'S  HISTORY  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  The  French 
Revolution  of  1789,  as  viewed  in  the  Light  of  Republican  Institutions. 
By  JOHN  S.  C.  ABBOTT.  With  100  Engravings.  Svo,  Cloth,  $5  00. 

ABBOTT'S  NAPOLEON  BONAPARTE.    The  History  of  Napoleon  Bona- 

Earte.     By  JOHN  S.  C.  ABBOTT.     With  Maps,  Woodcuts,  and  Portraits  on 
teel.    2  vols.,  Svo,  Cloth,  $10  00. 

ABBOTT'S  NAPOLEON  AT  ST.  HELENA;  or,  Interesting  Anecdotes  and 
Remarkable  Conversations  of  the  Emperor  during  the  Five  and  a  Half 
Years  of  his  Captivity.  Collected  from  the  Memorials  of  Las  Casas, 
O'Meara.  Montholon,  Antommarchi,  and  others.  By  JOHN  S.  C.  ABBOTT. 
With  Illustrations.  Svo,  Cloth,  $5  00. 

ADDISON'S  COMPLETE  WORKS.  The  Works  of  Joseph  Addison,  em- 
bracing  the  whole  of  the  "Spectator."  Complete  in  3  vols.,  Svo,  CHoth. 
$600. 


4          Harper  &°  Brothers'  Vahiable  and  Interesting  Works. 

ALCOCK'S  JAPAN.  The  Capital  of  the  Tycoon  :  a  Narrative  of  a  Three 
Years'  Residence  in  Japan.  By  Sir  RUTIIKRFOUD  ALOOOK,  K.C.B.,  Her 
Majesty's  Envoy  Extraordinary  and  Minister  Plenipotentiary  in  Japan. 
With  Maps  and  Engravings.  2  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 

ALISON'S  HISTORY  OF  EUROPE.  FIRST  SERIES:  From  the  Commence 
ment  of  the  French  Revolution,  in  1789,  to  the  Restoration  of  the  Bour 
bons,  in  1815.  [In  addition  to  the  Notes  on  Chapter  LXXVL,  which  cor 
rect  the  errors  of  the  original  work  concerning  the  United  States,  a  copi 
ous  Analytical  Index  has  been  appended  to  this  American  Edition.] 
SECOND  SKIUES:  From  the  Fall  of  Napoleon,  in  1815,  to  the  Accession  of 
Louis  Napoleon,  in  1852.  8  vols.,  Svo,  Cloth,  $16  00. 

liARTH'S  NORTH  AND  CENTRAL  AFRICA.  Travels  and  Discoveries  in 
North  and  Central  Africa :  being  a  Journal  of  an  Expedition  undertaken 
under  the  Auspices  of  H.B.M.'s  Government,  in  the  Years  1S49-1855.  By 
HENRY  BARTU,  Ph.D.,  D.C.L.  Illustrated.  3  vols.,  Svo,  Cloth,  $12  00. 

HENRY    WARD    BEECHER'S    SERMONS.     Sermons  by  HENRY  WARD 

BEKOIIKR,  Plymouth  Church,  Brooklyn.  Selected  from  Published  and 
Unpublished  Discourses,  and  Revised  by  their  Author.  With  Steel  Por 
trait.  Complete  in  2  vols.,  Svo,  Cloth,  $5  00. 

LYMAN  BEECHER'S  AUTOBIOGRAPHY,  &o.  Autobiography,  Corres 
pondence,  &c.,  of  Lyman  Beecher,  D.D.  Edited  by  his  Son,  CHARLES 
BEEOUKB.  With  Three  Steel  Portraits,  and  Engravings  on  Wood.  In  2 
vols.,  12ino,  Cloth,  $5  00. 

BOSWELL'S  JOHNSON.  The  Life  of  Samuel  Johnson,  LL.D.  Including 
a  Journey  to  the  Hebrides.  By  JAMES  BOBWELL,  Esq.  A  New  Edition, 
with  numerous  Additions  and  Notes.  By  JOHN  WILSON  CROKEB,  LL.D., 
F.R.S.  Portrait  of  Boswell.  2  vols.,  Svo,  Cloth,  $4  00. 

DRAPER'S  CIVIL  WAR.  History  of  the  American  Civil  War.  By  JOHN 
W.  DRAPER,  M.D.,  LL.D.,  Professor  of  Chemistry  and  Physiology  in  the 
University  of  New  York.  In  Three  Vols.  Svo,  Cloth,  $3  50  per  vol. 

DRAPER'S  INTELLECTUAL  DEVELOPMENT  OF  EUROPE.  A  Histo 
ry  of  the  Intellectual  Development  of  Europe.  By  JOIIN-.W.  DRAPER, 
M.  1).,  LL.D.,  Professor  of  Chemistry  and  Physiology  in  the  University 
of  New  York.  Svo,  Cloth.  $5  00. 

DRAPER'S  AMERICAN  CIVIL  POLICY.  Thoughts  on  the  Future  Civil 
Policy  of  America.  By  JOHN  W.  DRAPER,  M.D.,  LL.D.,  Professor  of 
Chemistry  and  Physiology  in  the  University  of  New  York.  Crown  Svo, 
Cloth,  $2  50. 

DU  CHAILLU'S  AFRICA.  Explorations  and  Adventures  in  Equatorial  Af 
rica,  with  Accounts  of  the  Manners  and  Customs  of  the  People,  and  of 
the  Chase  of  the  Gorilla,  the  Crocodile,  Leopard,  Elephant,  Hippopota 
mus,  and  other  Animals.  By  PAUL  B.  Du  CHAILLU.  Numerous  Illus 
trations.  Svo,  Cloth,  $5  00. 

DU  CHAILLU'S  ASHANGO  LAND.  A  Journey  to  Ashango  Land:  and 
Further  Penetration  into  Equatorial  Africa.  By  PAUL  B.  Du  CHAILI.U. 
New  Edition.  Handsomely  Illustrated.  Svo,  Cloth,  $5  00. 

BELLOWS'S  OLD  WORLD.  The  Old  World  in  its  New  Face :  Impressions 
of  Europe  in  186T-18CS.  By  HENRY  W.  BELLOWS.  2  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth, 
$350. 

BRODHEAD'S  HISTORY  OF  NEW  YORK.  History  of  the  State  of  New 
York.  By  JOHN  ROMEYN  BRODIIEAD.  1C09-1G91.  2  vols.  Svo,  Cloth, 
$3  00  per  vol. 

BROUGHAM'S  AUTOBIOGRAPHY.  Life  and  Times  of  HENRY,  Loxh 
BnouoHAM.  Written  by  Himself.  In  Three  Volumes.  12mo,  Cloth, 
$2  00  per  vol. 

MULWER'S  PROSE  WORKS.  Miscellaneous  Prose  Works  of  Edward  Bui- 
Wtir,  Lord  Lytton.  2  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 


Harper  6°  Brothers'  Valuable  and  Interesting  Works.          5 

BULWER'S  HORACE.  The  Odes  and  Epodes  of  Horace.  A  Metrical 
Translation  into  English.  With  Introduction  and  Commentaries.  By 
LORD  LYTTON.  With  Latin  Text  from  the  Editions  of  Orelli,  Maclean^ 
and  Yonge.  12mo,  Cloth,  $1  15. 

BULWER'S  KING  ARTHUR,  A  Poem.  By  LORD  LYTTON.  New  Edition. 
12mo,  Cloth,  $1  75.  ^ 

BURNS'S  LIFE  AND  WORKS.  The  Life  and  Works  of  Robert  Burns. 
Edited  by  ROBERT  CHAMBERS.  4  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $6  00. 

REINDEER,  DOGS,  AND  SNOW-SHOES.  A  Journal  of  Siberian  Travel 
and  Explorations  made  in  the  Years  1865-'67.  By  RICHARD  J.  BUSH,  lai« 
of  the  liusso-American  Telegraph  Expedition.  Illustrate,!.  Cro wiiSvo, 
Cloth,  $3  00. 

CARLYLE'S  FREDERICK  THE  GREAT.  History  of  Friedrich  II.,  called 
Frederick  the  Great.  By  THOMAS  CARLYLE.  Portraits,  Maps,  Plans, 
&c.  6  vols.,  12ino,  Cloth,  $12  00. 

CARLYLE'S  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  History  of  the  French  Revolution. 
2  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 

CARLYLE'S  OLIVER  CROMWELL.  Letters  and  Speeches  of  Oliver 
Cromwell.  With  Elucidations  and  Connecting  Narrative.  2  vols.,  12mo, 
Cloth,  $3  50. 

CHALMERS'S  POSTHUMOUS  WORKS.  The  Posthumous  Works  of  Dr. 
Chalmers.  Edited  by  his  Son-iu-Law,  Rev.  WILLIAM  HANNA,  LL.D. 
Complete  in  9  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $13  50. 

COLERIDGE'S  COMPLETE  WORKS.  The  Complete  Works  of  Samuel 
Taylor  Coleridge.  With  an  Introductory  Essuy  upon  his  Philosophical 
and  Theological  Opinions.  Edited  by  Professor  SHEDD.  Complete  in 
Seven  Vols.  With  a  Portrait.  Small  8vo,  Cloth,  $10  50. 

DOOLITTLE'S  CHINA.  Social  Life  of  the  Chinese :  with  some  Account  of 
their  Religious,  Governmental,  Educational,  and  Business  Customs  and 
Opinions.  With  special  but  not  exclusive  Reference  to  Fuhchan.  By 
Rev.  JUSTUS  DOOLITTLE,  Fourteen  Years  Member  of  the  Fuhchan  Mis 
sion  of  the  American  Board.  Illustrated  with  more  that  150  character 
istic  Engravings  on  Wood.  2  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $5  00. 

GIBBON'S  ROME.  History  of  the  Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire. 
By  EDWARD  GIBBON.  With  Notes  by  Rev.  H.  H.  MILMAN  and  M.  GPIZOT. 
A  new  cheap  Edition.  To  which  is  added  a  complete  Index  of  the  whole 
Work,  and  a  Portrait  of  the  Author.  6  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $9  00. 

HAZEN'S  SCHOOL  AND  ARMY  IN  GERMANY  AND  FRANCE.  The 
School  and  the  Army  in  Germany  and  France,  with  a  Diary  of  Siege 
Life  at  Versailles.  By  Brevet  Major-General  W.  B.  HAZEN,  U.S.A.,  Col 
onel  Sixth  Infantry.  'Crown  Svo,  Cloth,  $2  50. 

HARPER'S  NEW  CLASSICAL  LIBRARY.    Literal  Translations. 
The  following  Vols.  are  now  ready.    12mo,  Cloth,  $1  50  each. 
CAESAR. — VIRGIL. —  SALLCST. — HORACE. —  CICERO'S  ORATIONS.  — CICERO'S 
OFFICES,  &c. — CIOF.RO  ON  ORATORY  AND  ORATORS. — TACITUS  (2  vols.). 

— TERF.NCE. — SOPHOCLES. — JUVKNAL. — XENOPHON HOMER'S  ILIAD 

HOMER'S  ODYSSEY.  —  HERODOTUS.  — DEMOSTHENES THUCYDIDES.  — 

.<ESOHYLUS.— EURIPIDES  (2  vols.). — LIVY  (2  vols.). 

DA  VIS'S  CARTHAGE.  Carthage  and  her  Remains:  being  an  Account  of 
the  Excavation?  and  Researches  on  the  Site  of  the  Phoenician  Metropo 
lis  in  Africa  and  other  adjacent  Places.  Conducted  under  the  Auspices 
of  Her  Majesty's  Government.  By  Dr.  DAVIS,  F.R.G.S.  Profuse!/  Illus 
trated  with  Maps,  Woodcuts,  Chromo-Lithographs,  &c.  Svo,  Cloth, 

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HELPS'S  SPANISH  CONQUEST.  The  Spanish  Conquest  in  America,  and 
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HALE'S  (Mits.)  WOMAN'S  RECORD.  Woman's  Record  ;  or,  Biographical 
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Time:  Arranged  iu  Four  Eras,  with  Selections  from  Female  Writers  of 
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HALL'S  ARCTIC  RESEARCHES.  Arctic  Researches  and  Life  among  tha 
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Franklin,  in  the  Years  I860, 1861,  and  1862.  By  CHARLES  FRANCIS  HALL. 
With  Maps  and  100  Illustrations.  The  Illustrations  are  from  the  Origi 
nal  Drawings  by  Charles  Parsons,  Henry  L.  Stephens,  Solomon  Eytinge, 
W.  S.  L.  Jewett,  and  Grauville  Perkins,  after  Sketches  by  Captain  Hall. 
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HALLAM'S  LITERATURE.  Introduction  to  the  Literature  of  Europe  dur 
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HALLAM.  2  vols.,  Svo,  Cloth,  $4  00. 

HALLAM'S  MIDDLE  AGES.  State  of  Europe  during  the  Middle  Ages. 
By  HENRY  HALLAM.  Svo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

HILDRETH'S  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES.  FIRST  SERIES: 
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Constitution.  SECOND  SERII.S  :  From  the  Adoption  of  the  Federal  Con 
stitution  to  the  End  of  the  Sixteenth  Congress.  6  vols.,  Svo,  Cloth, 
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HUME'S  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND.  History  of  England,  from  the  Inva 
sion  of  Julius  Caesar  to  the  Abdication  of  James  II.,  1688.  By  DAVID 
HUME.  A  new  Edition,  with  the  Author's  last  Corrections  and  Improve 
ments.  To  which  is  Prefixed  a  short  Account  of  his  Life,  written  by 
Himself.  With  a  Portrait  of  the  Author.  6  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $9  00. 

JAY'S  WORKS.  Complete  Works  of  Rev.  William  Jay :  comprising  his 
Sermons,  Family  Discourses,  Morning  and  Evening  Exercises  for  every 
Day  in  the  Year,  Family  Prayers,  &c.  Author's  enlarged  Edition,  re 
vised.  3  vols.,  Svo,  Cloth,  $6  00. 

JEFFERSON'S  DOMESTIC  LIFE.  The  Domestic  Life  of  Thomas  Jeffer 
son:  compiled  from  Family  Letters  and  Reminiscences,  by  his  Great- 
Granddaughter,  SARAII  N.  RANDOLPH.  With  Illustrations.  Crown  Svo, 
Illuminated  Cloth,  Beveled  Edges,  $2  50. 

JOHNSON'S  COMPLETE  WORKS.  The  Works  of  Samuel  Johnson,  LL.D. 
With  an  Essay  on  his  Life  and  Genius,  by  ARTHUR  MURPHY,  Esq.  Por 
trait  of  Johnson.  2  vols.,  Svo,  Cloth,  $4  00. 

KINGLAKE'S  CRIMEAN  WAR.  The  Invasion  of  the  Crimea,  and  an  Ac 
count  of  its  Progress  down  to  the  Death  of  Lord  Raglan.  By  ALEXAN 
DER  WILLIAM  KINGLAKE.  With  Maps  and  Plans.  Two  Vols.  ready. 
12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00  per  vol. 

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KRUMMACHER'S  DAVID,  KING  OF  ISRAEL.  David,  the  King  of  Isra 
el :  a  Porttait  drawn  from  Bible  History  and  the  Book  of  Psalms.  By 
PUKDERIOK  WILLIAM  KRUMMAOIIKR,  D.D.,  Author  of  "Elijah  the  Tish- 
bite,"  &c.  Translated  under  the  express  Sanction  of  the  Author  by  the 
Rev.  M.  G.  EASTON,  M.  A.  With  a  Letter  from  Dr.  Krummacher  to  his 
American  Readers,  and  a  Portrait.  12mo.  Cloth,  $1  75. 

LAMB'S  COMPLETE  WORKS.  The  Works  of  Charles  Lamb.  Compris 
ing  his  Letters,  Poem?,  Essays  of  Elia,  Essays  upon  Bhakspeare.  Ho- 
parth,  &c.,  and  a  Sketch  of  his  Life,  with  the  Final  Memorials,  by  T.  Noon 
TALFOUBI>.  Portrait.  2  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $3  00. 


Harper  <S°  Brothers1  Valuable  and  Interesting  Works.  7 

LIVINGSTONE'S  SOUTH  AFRICA.  Missionary  Travels  and  Researches 
in  South  Africa ;  including  a  Sketcli  of  Sixteen  Years'  Residence  in  the 
Interior  of  Africa,  and  a  Journey  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  to  Loan- 
do  on  the  West  Coast;  thence  across  the  Continent,  down  the  River 
Zambesi,  to  the  Eastern  Ocean.  By  DAVID  LIVINGSTONE,  LL.D.,  D.C.L. 
With  Portrait,  Maps  by  Arrowsinith,  arid  numerous  Illustrations.  Svo, 
Cloth,  $4  50. 

LIVINGSTONES'  ZAMBESI.  Narrative  of  an  Expedition  to  the  Zambesi 
and  its  Tributaries,  and  of  the  Discovery  of  the  Lakes  Shirwa  and  Ny- 
assa.  185S-1864.  By  DAVID  and  CHARLES  LIVINGSTONE.  With  Map  and 

Illustrations.    Svo,  Cloth,  $5  00. 

M'CLINTOCK  &  STRONG'S  CYCLOPEDIA.  Cyclopaedia  of  Biblical, 
Theological,  and  Ecclesiastical  Literature.  Prepared  by  the  Rev.  JOHN 
M'CLINTOCK,  D.D.,  and  JAMES  STRONG,  S.T.D.  5  vols.  now  read;/.  Royal 
Svo,  Price  per  vol.,  Cloth,  $5  00;  Sheep,  $6  00;  Half  Morocco,  $8  00. 

MARCY'S  ARMY  LIFE  ON  THE  BORDER.  Thirty  Years  of  Army  Life 
on  the  Border.  Comprising  descriptions  of  the  Indian  Nomads  of  tne 
Plains  ;  Explorations  of  New  Territory ;  a  Trip  across  the  Rocky  Mount 
ains  in  the  Winter;  Descriptions  of  the  Habits  of  Different  Animals 
found  in  the  West,  and  the  Methods  of  Hunting  them;  with  Incidents 
in  the  Life  of  Different  Frontier  Men,  &c  ,  &c.  By  Brevet  Brigadier- 
General  R.  B.  MAIICY,  U.S.A.,  Author  of  "The  Prairie  Traveller."  With 
numerous  Illustrations.  Svo,  Cloth,  Beveled  Edges,  $3  00. 

MACAULAY'S  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND.  The  History  of  England  from 
the  Accession  of  James  II.  By  THOMAS  BAIUNGTON  MAOATJLAY.  With 
an  Original  Portrait  of  the  Author.  5  vols.,  Svo,  Cloth,  $10  00;  12mo, 
Cloth,  $7  50. 

MOSHEIM'S  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY,  Ancient  and  Modern;  in 
which  the  Rise,  Progress,  and  Variation  of  Church  Power  are  considered 
in  their  Connection  with  the  State  of  Learning  and  Philosophy,  and  the 
Political  History  of  Europe  during  that  Period.  Translated,  with  Notes, 
&c.,  by  A.  MACLAINE,  D.D.  A  new  Edition,  continued  to  1826,  by  C. 
COOTE,  LL.D.  2  vols.,  Svo,  Cloth,  $4  00. 

THE  DESERT  OF  THE  EXODUS.  Journeys  on  Foot  in  the  Wilderness 
of  the  Forty  Years'  Wanderings;  undertaken  in  connection  with  the 
Ordnance  Survey  of  Sinai  and  the  Palestine  Exploration  Fund.  By  E. 
H.  PALMEII,  M.A.,  Lord  Almoner's  Professor  of  Arabic,  and  Fellow  of 
St.  John's  College,  Cambridge.  With  Maps  and  numerous  Illustrations 
from  Photographs  and  Drawings  taken  on  the  spot  by  the  Sinai  Survey 
Expedition  and  C.  F.  Tyrwhitt  Drake.  Crown  svo,  Cloth,  $3  00. 

OLIPH  ANT'S  CHINA  AND  JAPAN.  Narrative  of  the  Earl  of  Elgin's  Mis 
sion  to  China  and  Japan,  in  the  Years  185T,  '58,  '59.  By  LAURENCE  OLI- 
PHANT,  Private  Secretary  to  Lord  Elgin.  Illustrations.  Svo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 

OLIPHANT'S  (MRS.)  LIFE  OF  EDWARD  IRVING.  The  Life  of  Edward 
Irving,  Minister  of  the  National  Scotch  Church,  London.  Illustrated  by 
his  Journals  and  Correspondeuce.  By  Mrs.  OLIPH  A  NT.  Portrait.  Svo 
Cloth,  $3  50. 

RAWLINSON'S  MANUAL  OF  ANCIENT  HISTORY.  A  Manual  of  An, 
cieut  History,  from  the  Earliest  Times  to.the  Fall  of  the  Western  Empire. 
Comprising  the  History  of  Chaldaea,  Assyria,  Media,  Babylonia,  Lydia, 
Phoenicia,  Syria,  Judaea,  Egypt,  Carthage,  Persia,  Greece,  Macedonia, 
Parthia,  and  Rome.  By  GUORGIC  RAWLINBON,  M.A.,  Camden  Professoi 
of  Ancient  History  in  the  University  of  Oxford.  12mo,  Cloth,  $2  50. 

RECLUS'S  THE  EARTH.  The  Earth:  A  Descriptive  History  of  the  Phe 
nomena  and  Life  of  the  Globe.  By  E"LTSI£E  RKCLUS.  Translated  by  the 
late  B.  B.  Woodward,  and  Edited  by  Henry  Woodward.  With  234  Mape 
and  Illustrations  and  23  Page  Maps  printed  in  Colors.  Svo,  Cloth,  $5  00. 

RECLUS'S  OCEAN.  The  Ocean,  Atmosphere,  nnd  Life.  Being  the  Second 
Series  of  a  Descriptive  History  of  the  Life  of  the  Globe.  By  E"LIS£E  Ri> 
OLUS.  Profusely  Illustrated  with  250  Maps  ot  Figures  and  27  Maps 
printed  in  Colors.  Svo,  Cloth,  $6  00- 


8  Harper  <5r»  Brothers'  Valuable  and  Interesting  Works. 

SHAKSPEARE.  The  Dramatic  Works  of  William  Shakspeare,  with  the 
Corrections  and  Illustrations  of  Dr.  JOHNSON,  G.  STEVENS,  and  others. 
Revised  by  ISAAC  REED.  Engravings.  6  vols,  Royal  12mo,  Cloth,  $9  00. 
2  vols.,  Svo,  Cloth,  $4  00. 

SMILES'S  LIFE  OF  THE  STEPHENSONS.  The  Life  of  George  Stephen- 
son,  and  of  his  Son,  Robert  Stephenson  ;  comprising,  also,  a  History  of 
the  Invention  and  Introduction  of  the  Railway  Locomotive.  By  SAMTICI. 
SMILES,  Author  of  "  Self-Help,"  &c.  With  Steel  Portraits  and  numerous 
Illustrations.  Svo,  Cloth,  $3  00. 

SMILES'S  HISTORY  OF  THE. HUGUENOTS.  The  Huguenots:  their  Set 
tlements,  Churches,  and  Industries  in  England  and  Ireland.  By  SAMUEL 
SMILES.  With  an  Appendix  relating  to  the  Huguenots  in  America. 
Crown  Svo,  Cloth,  $1  75. 

SPEKE'S  AFRICA.  Journal  of  the  Discovery  of  the  Source  of  the  Nile. 
By  Captain  JOHN  HANNINO  SPK.KE,  Captain  H.M.  Indian  Army,  Fellow 
and  Gold  Medalist  of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society,  Hon.  Correspond 
ing  Member  and  Gold  Medalist  of  the  French  Geographical  Society,  &c. 
With  Maps  and  Portraits  and  numerous  Illustrations,  chiefly  from  Draw 
ings  by  Captain  GRANT.  Svo,  Cloth,  uniform  with  Livingstone,  Barth, 
Burton,  &c.,  $4  00. 

STRICKLAND'S  (Miss)  QUEENS  OF  SCOTLAND.  Lives  of  the  Queens  of 
Scotland  and  English  Princesses  connected  with  the  Regal  Succession 
of  Great  Britain.  Py  AGNKS  STRICKLAND.  8  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $12  00. 

THE  STUDENT'S  SERIES. 

France.    Engravings.     12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

Gibbon.    Engravings.     12ino,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

Greece.    Engravings.    12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

Hume.    Engravings.     12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

Rome.    By  Liddell.     Engravings.    12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

Old  Testament  History.    Engravings.    12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

New  Testament  History.     Engravings,  12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

Strickland's  Queens  of  England.    Abridged.    Eng'a.    12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

Ancient  History  of  the  East.  12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

Hallam's  Middle  A^es.    12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

Hallam's  Constitutional  History  of  England.    12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

Lyell's  Elements  of  Geology.     12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

TENNYSON'S  COMPLETE  POEMS.  The  Complete  Poems  01" Alfred  Ten 
nyson,  Poet  Laureate.  With  numerous  Illustrations  by  Eminent  Artists, 
and  Three  Characteristic  Portraits.  Svo,  Paper,  75  cents;  Cloth,  $1  25. 

THOMSON'S  LAND  AND  THE  BOOK.  The  Land  and  the  Book;  or,  Bib 
lical  Illustrations  drawn  from  the  Manners  and  Customs,  the  Scenes 
and  the  Scenery  of  the  Holy  Land.  By  W.  M.  THOMSON,  D.D.,  Twenty- 
five  Years  a  Missionary  of  the  A.B.C.F.M.  in  Syria  and  Palestire.  With 
two  elaborate  Maps  of  Palestine,  an  accurate  Plan  of  Jerusalem,  and 
several  hundred  Engravings,  representing  the  Scenery,  Topography,  and 
Productions  of  the  Holy  Land,  and  the  Costumes,  Manners,  and  Habits 
of  the  People.  2  large  -12mo  vols.,  Cloth,  $5  00. 

TYERMAN'S  WESLEY.  The  Life  and  Times  of  the  Rev.  John  Wesley, 
M.A.,  Founder  of  the  Methodists.  By  the  Rev.  LUKE  TVEBMAN.  Por 
traits.  3  vols.,  Crown  Svo,  Cloth,  $7  50. 

TYERMAN'S  OXFORD  METHODISTS.  The  Oxford  Methodists:  Memoirs 
of  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Clayton,  Ingham,  Gambold,  Hervey,  and  Broughton, 
with  Biographical  Notices  of  others.  By  the  Rev.  L.  TYEUMAN.  With 
Portraits.  Crown  Svo,  Cloth,  $2  50. 

VA"MBE"RY'S  CENTRAL  ASIA.  Travels  in  Central  Asia.  Being  the  Ac 
count  of  a  Journey  from  Teheren  across  the  Turkoman  Desert,  on  the 
Eastern  Shore  of  the  Caspian,  to  Khiva,  Bokhara,  and  Samarcand,  per 
formed  in  the  Year  1863.  By  AHMINIUS  VA.MM£IIY,  Member  of  the  Hun 
garian  Academy  of  Pesth,  by  whom  he  was  sent  on  this  Scientific  Mis 
sion.  With  Map  and  Woodcuts.  Svo,  Cloth,  $4  50. 

WOOD'S  HOMES  WITHOUT  HANDS.  Homes  Without  Hands:  being  n 
Description  of  the  Habitations  of  Animals,  classed  according  to  tlieir 
Principle  of  Construction.  By  J.  G.  Wooj>,  M.A.,  F.L.S.  With  about 

•        140  Illustrations.    Svo,  Cloth,  Beveled  Edges.  $4  60. 


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